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GET THE BEST
BANG FOR•
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ISSUE 324 OCTOBER 2004

orason

VOL. XXIX NUMBER 5

CONTENTS

paizo.com /dragon

Publisher. Lisa Stevens
Editor-m-CHief: Matthew Sernett
Senior Art Director: Sean Clcnn

Assistant Editors: Mike McArtor and F Wesley Schneider
Graphic Design Sarah Robinson and Mike Schley

Advertising Director Rob Stewart
Director of Prod. & Manufacturing Matt Beals
Prepress Manager Kelly O'Brien
Circulation Manager: Keith Strohm

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS

Peter Borgting. Tom Fowler. Andrew Hou. John Kovalic,
Mike May. |eff Laubenstcin. Tony Moseley. Noi Sackda.
Marc Sasso, Rob Thomas. Aaron Williams

CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS

Keith Baker. Rich Burlew, Joshua Cole, Andy Collins. Scott
Fitzgerald Gray. Robert J Hahn. James Jacobs, Paul Leach.
Mike McArtor. Mike Mearls. Richard Pocklington, Ian
Richards. F. Wesley Schneider. Nick Simmonds. Tracy Taylor

PAIZO PUBLISHING. LLC

2700 Richards Road, Suite 201
Bellevue. WA 98005 4200

Chief Executive Officer
Lisa Stevens
Technical Director
Vic Wertz

Corporate Accountant
Dave Erickson

Vice President
Keith Strohm
Director of Marketing
Jenny Bendcl
Operations Manager
Jeff Alvarez

Dragon* (USPS 318-790) is published monthly by Paizo
Publishing. LLC. 2700 Richards Road, Suite 201 Bellevue.

WA 9800S 4200. United States of America. (ISSN# 1062
2101) Periodicals Postage Paid at Bellevue. WA. and at addi¬
tional mailing offices.

No part of this magazine may be reproduced (except for
review purposes) without the prior written consent of the
publisher. Material published herein does not necessarily
reflect the opinions of Paizo Publishing, LLC. its employees,
or its editorial staff, who arc not liable for opinions expressed
herein. Most product names are trademarks owned by the
companies that publish those products. Use of the name
of any product without mention of trademark status should
not be construed as a challenge to such status. Trademarks
related to the Dungeons & Dragons brand, including
Dragon. Dungion. and D&D arc trademarks of Wizards of
the Coast, Inc. and are used under license from Wizards of
the Coast. Inc., a division of Hasbro. Inc.

POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO

Paizo Publishing. 2700 Richards Road. Suite 201
Bellevue. WA 98005 4200.

2004 Wizards of the Coast. Inc.

BACK ISSUES: paizo.com/dragon or call 425-289 1340

SUBSCRIPTIONS/CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Contact Paizo
Publishing at subscriptions@paizo.com or call 425-289-0060.
Although we accept subscriptions to prison addresses,
delivery is subject to the discretion and/or whim of prison
personnel If you have not received a magazine or premium,
please consult with your mail room authorities. This pub
lisher Is not responsible for non delivery.

ADVERTISING: Contact Dragon's Advertising Director. Rob
Stewart, at (425) 289-1345 All ads are subject to approval by
Paizo Publishing, LLC. which reserves the right to reject any
ad for any reason. Advertisers and/or agencies of advertisers
agree not to hold Paizo Publishing, LLC liable for any loss or
expense from alleged wrongdoing that may arise out of the
publication of such advertisements.

DISTRIBUTION: National and Internationaldistribution is
provided by Curtis Circulation Company, 730 River Road. New
Milford. NJ 07646. Tel: (201) 634 7400 Fax: (201) 634 7499

OPEN GAME CONTENT: Unless otherwise noted, this
Paizo Publishing, LLC product contains no Open Game
Content No portion of this work may be reproduced in any
form without permission. To learn more about the Open
Gaming License and the d20 System License, please visit
wizards.com/d20

Printed in the U.S A.

36 THE SHADOW OVER D&D

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu
R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn!

44 LIVING NIGHTMARES

Like a dream—make that night¬
mare—come true, Eberron's
creator, Keith Baker, unleashes
new nocturnal terrors.

56 EXORCISING EQUIPMENT

So you want to slay some vam¬
pires? Maybe toast some mum¬
mies? You're going to need some
gear. Discover new tools for
destroying undead.

58 CHILLED TO THE BONE

They say Eskimos have one hun¬
dred ways to say “snow." Learn
four new ways to say “death."

64 GET MORE BANG FOR
YOUR BONES

Making the most of fallen foes:
Find out which corpses to ani¬
mate and which you should leave
for the gravedigger.

m .tlrm.iil«(xii/o.i om
(li.i}»oniii|i.ii/o.< oni
p.ii/o.tMin/tli.ij’on
pai/n.t om/di.igon

( lISloillt'I.MMA II CUJ'jKII/U.t (IIII

s.igeatlvii

ioli.slrw.iil i/ pat/o.i om

4 DRAGON 324 October 2004

TABLE TALK

ON THE COVER

66 ^

FAMILIARS

PLAYER INITIATIVE

The scoop on gamer life.

UNDER COMMAND

Perils from the planes for D&D and D&D minis.

SILICON SORCERY

Unlock the power of Gothic II's mystic runes.

A NOVEL APPROACH

Gods old and new clash in Neil Gaimen’s American Gods.

COMICS

100

101

102

106

FROM THE EDITOR

You'll have to read it to believe it: why the new D&D movie might be cool.

FIRST WATCH

Previews, notes, and news for gamers.

SCALE MAIL

Lethal sarcasm, calls for chromatics, and .. . swimsuits?

Marc Sasso shows us there’s more to
chill your soul than just the cold.

ECOLOGY

Toil and trouble with night hags.

SPELLCRAFT

Discover new illusions—if you can.

THE MAGIC SHOP

Are you willing to pay the price?

HEROIC FEATS

Let your feats reflect who you are.

GAINING PRESTIGE

It’s time for some serious slayage.

WINNING RACES

Get a grippli! The classic race returns.

CLASS ACTS

Tips and tricks for your favorite class.

PLAYER TIPS

There is no “I” in “adventurer."

ADVENTURER TRICKS

Surviving magic traps without a rogue.

SAGE ADVICE

The sage answers your rules questions.

COUP DE GRACE

Andy Collins explains D&D’s new developments.

October 2004 DRAGON 324

■ C2004 Wteards, Few parte*

Worldwide D6D Game Day Saturday, October 16, 2004

Come celebrate the historic .tilth Anniversary of the DUNGIONS 6 l)KAC.O\S
rolcplaying game on Worldwide 1)61) Came Day.

Introduce a friend to the exciting world of 1)61) with the Lair of the Mari A II
mini finest. You'll both gel a taste of adventure and a couple souvenirs to take hi

r // //✓/ / f Wf A,

Join your fellow adventurers in the festivities at a partic ipaling game store near you
track one down at dndgameday.com

»:xi>i:ki»nci: counts

^ ’

v J

FROM THE EDITOR

SECOND BEST

I 'm going to say something, and I
need you to take me seriously.

The D£D movie sequel represents
the best thing to happen to De[D since the
release of third edition ,

Okay, I admit that sounds crazy, but
hear me out.

Not long after the D&D craze hit
the world in the late 70s, a lot of folks
started to become suspicious of the
game. Dudgeons & Dragons was
a new concept, completely alien to
people who thought of games in terms
of boards and cards. Its themes of
monsters, magic, and violence (not to
mention drawings of naked women}
put parents on their guard.

During the 80s—despite a Saturday-
morning cartoon, a toy line, and many
computer games—the suspicion
turned into persecution. The game
came under fire for everything from
Satanism to causing suicides.

During the 90s, after blaming our
problems on everything from cartoons
to video games, scapegoating lost
some of its appeal, but Dungeons
& Dragons still kept a relatively
low profile. TSR, the company that
produced the game, even went so far
as to take such objectionable terms as
■'demon” and “devil” out of the game.
D&D passed from the public eye, and
ultimately, TSR ceased producing its
flagship game.

The D&D craze, the cartoon and
toys, even the scapegoating—all served
to buoy D&D. They raised awareness
of the game, and the greatest
challenge facing D&D right now is a
lack of public awareness.

In 1980, D&D's strong fan base and
the support of a large corporation like
Hasbro would have kept the game

going, but the market today, with its
improved technologies and experiences
for everything from TV to cell phones,
exerts a much stronger pressure on
D&D to be financially successful.

To continually compete for people's
pocket money and leisure time, D&D
must find a larger audience.

I’m not saying D&D is doomed—
quite the contrary. D&D is making
a comeback, and if the D&D movie
sequel (now filming in Lithuania}
makes it to theaters, it will cinch it.

Critics panned the first D&D movie,
and it gave a mediocre box-office
performance, but its worst flaw was
that it didn’t significantly influence
the public. Even with the success of
the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings
films, people don’t connect the themes
of those movies with D&D.

The sequel can change that. With
great fantasy films fresh in their
minds, people will go to see the new
D&D movie. They might come out
of the theater and tell their friends,

“Return of the King was way better than
Dungeons & Dragons " but they’ll
be talking about D&D to other people,
and they'll be thinking about it when
they go to see the next Harry Potter
film. D&D will again occupy a place
in the public consciousness, and that,
more than anything else, drives people
to become curious and pick up a copy
of the game.

I hope they make a trilogy.

PLdari* M -

Matthew Sernett
Edttor-in-Chief

NEXT MONTH IN DRAGON

Dkacon #325

Dragon gives you the best in gaming,
presenting new official rules, original
game content, great advice, and the
perfect Inspiration for your D&D game.

In each issue, you'll also see what cool
products are on the horizon, find out
what other players are up to, and get an
insider's look at the Industry, Get more
from your game: Get Dragon t

Arcane Ancestry 2
by Scott Carter

The power of sorcery comes from the blood,
See what your sorcerer can do when something
other than a dragon roosts In his family tree.

Hometown Heroes
by Ben Vand grift

Who are the people in your neighborhood*
Give your character real experience by
giving some thought to her roots,

Spellcasting Feats

by TN Hitchcock

Make spellcasting magical again with over
a dozen new feats for speilcasters.

War Magic

by Joshua Cole

Learn what spells work best on any
battlefield and how to cast them like a pro.

Plusl

"Winning Races: Lupins, 11 "The Ecology of
Duergar," "A Novel Approach: Dun*,” and
of course, "Coup de Grace," "Class Acts,"
“5pelkraft, n "The Magic Shop," "Gaining
Prestige." "Heroic Feats," "Silicon
Sorcery," "First Watch," "Pfayer initiative.”
"Scale Mail," "Adventurer Tricks," "Player
Tips," "Sage Advice," and comics!

DRAGON 324 October 2004

A PATH FORMED BY

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WIZARDS OF THF COAST and ORAGONLANCt and their respective loijos are trademarks of Wizards ol the Coast Inc. in the U S A. and other countries 2004 Wizards.

FIRST WATCH

PREVIEWS, NOTES, AND
HEWS FOR GAMERS

NEW RELEASES

D&D*s new book of the dead—
make that undead—Iihris Mortis
hits the shelves this month, pre¬
senting all new undead monsters
and advice for how to use undead
in a campaign* Be sure to check
out the swarm shifter template
contributed by Dragon's edi-
tor-in-chief, Matthew Sernett.
Wizards of the Coast didn't forget
players, though, The book com
tains plenty of undead-hunting
advice, rules, feats, and prestige
classes. There's even a section on
playing an unde ad character!

Libns Mortis releases this month*

-uotiu t

, . :

Shining

South

Magic made common, draw
on the surface, warrior half-
lings, and flying ships. No, it's
not Eberrqn, it's the Shining
South, the Forgotten Realms
region of ancient cultures and
fallen empires* From a nation of
half-draw to one full of wizards.
Shining South has plenty to offer
anyone looking to put a little
more magic into their game or
character. New feats, prestige
classes, monsters, magic items,
and spells await you inside.

Shining South releases this month.

A LOOK BACK

Push those empty pizza boxes and dice out
of the way! Wizards of the Coast produced
something truly worth placing on your cof¬
fee table. In 30 Years of Adventure, you'll find
a history of D&D told by the people who
were there. With a foreword by Vin Diesel
and pages filled with essays and photo¬
graphs, you can show your geek affiliation to
those visiting relatives with pride*

30 Tears of Adventure releases this month.

URE

Dungeons a Djwgons

, tii-inAfprir* Krtr'-.-r kfH’tj ,, „ m,

ABERRATIONS

The fifth Dungeons & Dragons
Miniatures set — and the first Since
/ iarbinger to have Starter Sets
focuses on aberrant creatures and
the heroes who fight them. The set
includes models from many new
sources (including Monster Manual
Ilia mi the FserROn Campaign
Sotting) as well as beloved creatures
from older books.

You'll hud Aberrations on store
shelves this month.

AMAZING
STORIES
Amazing
Si or us
returns, lliis
lime with a
new attitude
and former
Dragon

Fdilor-iii-Chief Dave Cross at the
helm. Along with the great short
stories for which the magazine
has been famous since 1926,
ilu i 21st-century Amazing also
in cIudes i ea 1 11 res on 11t e cren tors
of movies, TV shows, comics,
and the occasional game* For
example, in issue #604 (Octo¬
ber), Amazing talks with IT A*
Salvatore on the creation of the
Demon Sfonc video game and
its connections (can you say
Drizzt?) to his latest novel, Add
previews of upcoming releases,
dozens of reviews pf the latest
DVDs, books, comics, and more,
and you have a monthly portal to
the latest and greatest in stories
and storytellers.

DRAGON 324 October 2004

DVD RELEASES

DUNGEON THIS MONTH

Dungeon #115

D&D CARTOON ON DVD

Journey back to the mysterious Realm and join Hank, Sheila, Uni, and the others
in their quest to discover their ever elusive way home... if you live in England (or
have a region free DVD player). By the time you read this. Contender Entertain¬
ment Group (contendeigroup.com/kult-tv) should have all the episodes already
out on DVD, Companies often evaluate the success of products in England before
producing them for the U.S., so Contender Entertainment Group or Rhino Enter¬
tainment (who produced the Transformers, G.L Joe, and Jem DVDs) might have
region 1 versions of the DVDs in the works. In any event, it looks like we'll have
to wait a little longer to see cartoon bullywugs and hook horrors.

If you'd like to find out more about the D&D cartoon or its DVDs, several cool
sites exist that can show you the way. For more information, check out amazon,
co.uk, zaksreaIm.net/The_Realm.html, or 80scartoons.co.uk.

k* * *

HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE
UNIVERSE ON DVD

Wound, meet salt. Contender Entertainment Group has
also begun releasing the popular original He-Man and
the Masters of the Universe cartoon series on DVD. DVD
number 6 should be available now... in England. Eng¬
lish people clearly live in the future.

Find out more about the He-Man universe at he-
man.org and he-mamcom.

SfiHi?

'Vv I, A DUN DJ INN I

i jUQCnj' ^ People often email Draoon or Dungeon to
learn what computer program our cartogra¬
phers use to make the maps in the magazines. Unfortunately, we have to tell
them I hat its not a mapping program; out cartographers free-hand sketch
maps, scan in drawings, and use programs like Photoshop imd Illustrator.
Dunn von Assistant Editor James Jacobs makes beautiful maps with ( Yum
ptiigti Cartographer, but lacking his computer drafting skills, the rest of us put
up with graph-paper paper cuts and graphite-dusted fingers.

fhankfiilly, Dnmljinni now exists. Dundjmtu presents a simple and fairly intui¬
tive means of making maps lor your games. Only slightly more difficult to use
Ilian a basic paint program, Duud/inni can be used to make miuiatures-svale maps
or overland maps. The textures and items included in the original release aren’t
enough to cover all your bases, but expansion downloads give you more options.
Making a cool-looking map with Dmu/jtrmi lakes a lot of time, but at least its |Xis-
sible to do so without having to learn CAD or buy a ShOO professional art program,
l : oi more details, check out dundjmui.t om.

FIND THE REAL KILLER INSIDE!

Dunoon

. . — -

Check in with Monte Cook's "Dungeon-
craft” and see what Wit Wheaton is up to
in the second installment of "Wil Save "
The 'Campaign Workbook" has a host of
suggestions for your game.

Raiders of Black Ice

by Wolfgang Baur

Gracing for a terrible winter, the adven¬
turers find themselves snow-locked in
the desolate Archbarony of BJackmoor.
Will they venture into the treather
ous Land of Black Ice to rescue an
enslaved people? A D&D adventure for
Jrddevet characters.

Steel Shadows

by Keith Baker

A killer is stalking the warforged of Sharn
Some say the murderer is a vengeful
spirit, while others blame human bigotry
and Fear, Can the adventurers expose the
truth that lies hidden in the depths of
Sham? A D&D Eberron adventure for 7th-
tevei characters.

Strike on Shatterhorn

by Christopher Perkins

The puise-pounding conclusion to the
Shackled City Adventure Path was so
awesomely huge we had to split it into
two parts. The eleven-adventure story¬
line enters its penultimate chapter as
the heroes track the remaining Cage-
wrights to the ruined yuan-ti strong¬
hold of Shatterhorn, A D&D Shackled
City Adventure Path adventure for
ISthdevei characters.

October 2004 DRAGON 324

SCALE MAIL

Tell us what you think of this issue. Send an email to sealemaif® paiao.com. Please include
your name, city, and state.

DUNCfOHI HID SUHTBH lOTIOtt

How about a swimsuit issue? An odd
request From a woman, perhaps, but
I remember Marvel's swimsuit-issue
comics, and they had something for
everyone, I think you guys should do it,
J r m not saying that chainmail bikinis
would work for everyone, but surely
you can get a paladin into swim trunks?

Mtcole Mussen
Address withheld

Believe it or not, we've discussed this at the
office. Our harebrained scheme invoked
making the April issue the swimsuit issue.
Of course, our plan called for a beholder
in a bikini bottom (perhaps with a puppy
pulling U down) in addition to the req¬
uisite beefcake picture of Regdar playing
volleyball and Mialee catching some rays *
Dragon hasn't done it yet because it has
never had an editor crazy enough to think
that Wizards of the Coast would go for
it, Jt still doesn't, but I'm crazy enough
to ask them. Show your support (or lack
thereof) for this idea by sending an email
to soaicmaiI@paizo,com.

WOTC * PflRO = DSD

T just got finished reading a relatively
old update on your website, and I
read something that disturbed me
far more than any fiendish half-troll
sahuagin ever has: 'Also, starting with
issue # 323 , the new Dragon presents
a bonus quarterly catalog giving you
the scoop on upcoming D&D releases

from Wizards of the Coast, all gath¬
ered in one place.”

I've read both Dungeon and
Dragon religiously for the past two
years or so, and I've never before
been bothered by any of the changes
that have occurred, but I've noticed
a trend lately that disturbs me. This
past month in Dungeon, I read an
adventure that not only showcased the
D&D miniatures, but also the tiles.
This shameless promotion of Wizards
of the Coast products irked me a little
at first, because it seemed like such
a waste of space—I mean, anyone
can tell that miniatures are useful
for D&D, and I didn't think Dungeon
needed to devote almost two pages to
describing how to use them.

Now I read that Dragon will also
showcase other Wizards of the Coast
material. I know that the two maga¬
zines are supporting a game that is
owned by Wizards of the Coast, but
as far as I know, Wizards of the Coast
doesn't directly own either maga¬
zine, Why are they getting all of this
space? Why not include in your quar¬
terly catalogs previews of Ral Part ha
miniatures or Swords and Sorcery
materials? There are lots of respect¬
able d20 supplements out there, and
I see no reason why Dragon should
give free advertising space to only
Wizards of the Coast

David Karlin
Address withheld

Thanks for reading, David. I’m happy
to hear that you get so much use from
both magazines ,

Actually , Wizards of the Coast does
own the magazines , Paizo licenses the
right to produce them,

The catalog in Dragon is an extra
sixteen pages added to the magazine four
times a year by Wizards of the Coast.

They provide it as an advertisement for
their products. We’re happy to include it
as a resource for readers to learn what’s
coming out, often before they can find out
from online sources.

The dlQ market offers some great
products for De[D, but most print runs
for such products are small (5, 000 copies
or less) and garner interest from a com-
mensurately small portion of the general
audience. Thus, we don’t devote articles
to such products (besides mentioning
them in the new *First Watch " section
from time to time). Of course, if Ral
Partha or Sword and Sorcery Studios
wanted to buy 16 page $ of advertising ,
we’d be happy to include it!

IMS. DOUG

I'm a thirty-year-old, middle-class
male. I was bom when TSR was being
formed. I was teething on the red
D&D basic box. Girls were gross dur¬
ing A D&D. I started dating around
the time second edition came out, 1
became engaged at 3.0 and married at
3.5, Wizards of the Coast has taken a
lot of fiak since the changeover from

DRAGON 324 October 2004

fcujU a House.

Tear friers APart-

Never The saine gaK twice, feetragal at H° uS e oh the tfitr lets ^ou cKooSe one of twelve
MStehws characters and m a unique twist, explore 3 house filled with deadly Secret 5
bg "building it as jjou nag. in goup struggle against hidden gangers, ^ou 11 also discover
that one of the Placers |S a traitor, bent on goup destruction, fro^ there, goup sanitg
wi" be te 5 ted as ^ou etuHog all of goup skills to Survive.

BETRAYAL' <i

HOUSE HILL A

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TWIST ON

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Th« tUt t^rs ffi«n 43 in|o tutors

SCALE MAIL

FUNNY FACES

S Need a picture of
your character or
of an HPO Check
out the face maker

at charmel4.com/
entertain ment/tv/
micros ites/Y/your-
face/index.html,

Dracnn That ove,ly

^ • Clgl/I I long web address
leads you to a face
creator that visi¬
tors usually use to
create faces that
mimic those of movie and TV stars, but
you can use it to depict your D&D char-
acter. The website not only allows you
to choose from a host of facial features,
but you can also change their dimen¬
sions. creating bigger smiles or bushier
eyebrows as you see fit, and even move
them about the face.

TSR for being greedy and for revamp¬
ing things purely for the cash, but I
have witnessed a constant upward
movement in the quality of the D&D
line. Each edition gets better and fills
in the gaps from the previous edition.
Keep up the good work. 1 love Dragon
magazine more than ever.

Douglas Hendrickson
Memphis, TN

PUT OK TOUR flBK JHCKFTC!

I recently read your “open letter
to readers." f hadn't read it earlier
because I quit getting both maga¬
zines when you switched to third
edition, or 3.5, or whatever the hell
it's up to now, I have to say, Wizards
of the Coast inspires a lot of brand
loyalty when they tell gamers they
have to upgrade to a new set of rule-
books. People just love to throw out
things that they've invested time
and money in.

So you're going to "relaunch" the
magazines? Dragon becomes a 100-
page advertisement for Wizards of
the Cost with two scoops of raisins
in every issue.

I suppose it would be asking too
much to even consider the gamers who
supported the magazine in the past by
offering material for older versions of
D&D. because to a lot of gamers, we

didn't leave the game, the game left
us. We're still playing our version. We
bought enough material in the past
to tide us over until the next time the
company changes hands.

If you want to generate business,
maybe you need to think about the past
instead of repeating mistakes your pre¬
decessors made. I hope your endeavor
in recycling is as successful as orga¬
nized play relaunching Ravens Bluff.

Vince Lehto
Address withheld

Yay. Vince is back! It’s been a while since
Dragon received a letter from Vince Lehto
(AIC4. Vince Lethal), We thought he’d
stopped caring.

We like Vince's letters because he has a
way with words. The sarcasm drips from
Jus fetter and spl ashes to the floor!

Vince has an axe to grind with Wiz¬
ards of the Coast fas if you couldn't tell) t
hut he brings up point of policy that’s
worth explaining: Dragon doesn't sup¬
port older editions of the game. Each
issue of the magazine features many
articles that can be used regardless of
edition * hut you wont see any second edi¬
tion statistics for monsters or first edition
descriptions of spells.

The reason for that policy is simple:
Dragon exists to serve you, DeiD players ,
and the majority of PtjfD players use the
new edition of the rule s. Including articles
for older editions would turn away more
readers than it would gamer.

LAMINATION LAMENTATION

1 don't play Dungeons <£ Dragons
M iniatures and have never given the
idea much thought one way or the
other, but the giant map in issue #322
made me reconsider!

The map caught my eye right away
because it was huge. After finishing
an exce!lent™and timely—issue on
playing in the dark, I unfolded my
bookmark and read the scenario and
examined the map. Oh, yes—this was
one to be laminated in short order.

You see, while your cartographer
and writer might have envisioned a
dead dragon and rival plunderers, I saw
something else entirely. I saw gladi¬
ators, I saw dragons—live ones who

capture and enslave foolhardy would-be
looters and force them into arenas to
fight for their own amusement and
profit. The hoard map just screamed
"Arena!" to me. Perhaps it's time to
divert some of my own hoard to the
D&D miniatures game.

Speaking of diverting my hoard, I
have a tiny complaint about the sheer
size of the map. Would it be possible
to aim for 2 4-inch-wide posters in
Dragon? It would sure keep my lami¬
nating costs down!

As for the timeliness of a darkness-
themed issue: The week before issue
#322 arrived, I was verbally "revisit¬
ing'' a dream campaign of mine based
on an inverted D&D-style world where
the good guys live in the Underdark,
and the bad guys rule the surface and
slink in the shadows. With issue #322
and its theme of playing in the dark
landing in my lap so dose on the heels
of the most recent “skull-session" over
the setting, 1 might get serious about
making it work.

All in all, issue #322 wasn't just a
“useful" issue that would help me play,
it was an issue that makes me want to
play and explore new directions as 1 do.

Now, if only I'd had that wonder¬
ful “Ecology of the Dark Ones" article
when t ran the first Shackled City
adventure from Dungeon ,

Michael McNeill
Eros, LA

DRAGON LADY

I've been a die-hard gamer for about
nine years, and in that time I have
always pushed the DM to the limit on
high-powered monster characters, 1
love the way the new edition addresses
monster races and how Mike McAr*
tor handled metallic dragon PCs in
Dragon #320. However, 1 can identify
with all the fans who were disappointed
the chromatic dragons were exdudecL 1
understand that not many DMs are as

KNOWLEDGE
CHECK

To what does "Bazaar of the
Bizarre” refer?

DRAGON 324 October 2004

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ATARI

Tbis issue’s
Riddle:

Our assault started
At the beginning of time
A tireless army
Marching in line.

As each of us dies

^ Our reinforcement makes breach
Millions of warriors
Invading the beach.

Get a new riddle each week in
your email Sign up at:
riddles.doud kingdom com

Need scn>etbiD§
more tlyap
String or nothing”?

Riddle Bcofys

Each Riddle Book contains 75-80
riddles for use in role playing games
or to challenge you and your friends.

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Riddle Rooms are riddles and puzzles
presented as rooms that can be added
to any dungeon or adventure. Each
room has one or more illustrations.
Can be used with any system.

For more riddles and games visit us at
www.doudkingdom.com

liberal as mine (since he is my fiance),
but all DMs must see the benefit of
having chromatic dragon level progres¬
sions to use as enemies, 1 have a per-
sonal stake in this petition: Teslaverina,
a very young female black dragon, with
whom I aspire to conquer nations.

I even considered using my guest
account to email you about a hundred
times, each under a different address.

I really believe that coming out with a
sequel article that covers the chromatic
dragons would be well received by the
fans, 1 know l would appreciate it! As
even 1 patiently await the next install¬
ment of Dragon , the best source of
gaming material anywhere!

Tracy Tate
Address withheld

FRITZ

LEIBER

SWORDS

AGAINST

DEATH

_HIT I ? )♦£ atCONLfc IN 1 HI • I I

EiTH* £iF FAFt+Rt? Mlti (iflrW UOUSEft 3*0 *S

KNOWLEDGE
CHECK ANSWER

It refers to the old magic
item articles in Ojmcon, of
course, but it's also the title
to one of Fritz Leiber’5 Fafhrd and the
Gray Mouser stories.

Who is Fritz Leiber? One of the old
masters of fantasy fiction. D&D owes a
lot to Leiber, just as it owes much to
j. R. R, Tolkien, Robert E. Howard.
Michael Moorcock. Jack Vance, and H. P,
Lovecraft. How much did these authors
contribute to D&D? Check out w The
Shadow Over Dungeons & Dragons"
in this issue to learn more about H. P.
Lovecraft, then go to your local library or
bookstore to find out more.

The people have spokenf We received more
than the usual amount of email last month ,
and most people sent emails fo support see¬
ing the chromatic dragons as monster level
progressions. Assistant Editor Mike McArior
is writing the follow-up article to “Dragon
Player Characters f # hut it might be a while
before it appeals in the magazine. (Turning
the dragon stats for each age category into
a unified level progression is complicated!)
Keep your eyes on the previews of future
issues , tuforch appear next to “From the Edi¬
torC to see when ids coming up. 2

ONE BRICK TO
RULE THEM ALL

Lego has revitalized
its popular Lego
castle series with
an all new look and
the most in-depth
backstory ever,
Knights' Kingdom,
which takes place in
the land of Morels,

Dra arm int,<)du “ sse,!

LSI dgUll not onlj-fof Lego's
ever-popular mini-
figures, but also a
set for each of the
five knights (good
and evil) in a larger scale on par with Lego
Technics popular Bionicle line.

Knights' Kingdom offers plenty for
D&D players. Morcia has a rich story
fine incorporated into the entire product
assortment that tells of a kingdom taken
over by the Dark Knight, Vladek. A band of
heroic Knights (Danju, jayko, Rascus, and
Santis), each with his own special "quest
ability, p| must embark on a daring mission
to find the heart of the mythical Shield
of Ages—the one item that can help the
Knights defeat Vladek in a grand tourna¬
ment—and take it back their homeland
Sound like a campaign? You bet! The
world of Knights' Kingdom also includes
cool place names, like the Citadel ofOrlan
and the Desolate Moorlands,

Need more of a draw? How about
detailed sets with cool buildings {of a
scafe usable with D&D miniatures, no
less) including a castle with elements
that can be turned from good to evil to
reflect a change in rulers? Every set also
includes three cards usable in a collect¬
able card game similar to the playing
card game, War

The initial offering of ten sets (five in
each scale) is available now at shop.fego.
com and your local retail establishment.
Now if we could just get Mike to put his
Legos down long enough to get some
work done around here ,.,

It Ends Her

On S.1I0 Every where*

October 19, 2004

It Ends N©w.

One final conflict. A pair of trusted scimitars.

The fate of the North, the freedom of Mithral Hall,
and the lives of his companions all rest
in the skillful hands of Drizzt Do’Urden.

The Two Swords is the explosive finale
to the epic Hunter’s Blades Trilogy
by New York Times best-selling author R.A. Salvatore.

wi/arris.i om/l>noks

SM" Itllv m! *l«l • IM'.I -lilM ,*»«M (4« >t'H mill 1|»M«

r i*’ - ««(■ nl IS*- ♦ 0,4 It*.

Itll' * mliilllH Iliuntrw ' ,'<Ht I Wlf.mt. Hill ti, ImMll.Viiinlll

PLAYER INITIATIVE

THE SCOOP OH COMER LIFE

SURVEY SAYS?

In 1998, 77% of the respondents to
our reader survey were 25 years old
or older, and 6% were female. In
our survey of 2002, we found that
53% of respondents were 25 years
old or older, and 5% were female.
What does that tell us? Some portion
of our readers found the Fountain of
Youth, and the/re not sharing, and
no one plays D&D with the girdle of
feminityfmasadinity anymore.

Give us some real data by taking
our new survey at paizo.com/dragon,
Let us know what you like and don't
like. Tell us about yourself and your
gaming habits, so we can continue to
give you the greatest in gaming. You
dorit have to be a subscriber If you
read Dragon, we want to know what
you think about it
To all of Dragon's female
readers: We know there are more
of you out there* fump online and
show r your gamer pride.

A letter from Jeremy Mauer;

My friend, Kevin Sriuyard,
married on June 25th. At the
suggestion of the bride, the groom's
cake was decorated as a Player's
Handbook, The full cake ms done
with hardened sugar for the gems and
thick chocolate for the cover. As a
special treat, they included dice hand
carved from white chocolate.

When it came time to cut the cake,
even the non-gamers called for it to be
spared! Well, the cake did get eaten.
and it tasted damn good too. Here are

some pictures of the cake and one of
Kevin and Amy cutting it, Kevin is a
gamer , and Amy is a strong supporter,
allowing our rather large group to use
their house for regular games.

Dice carved from white chocolate?
Brilliant! Give the baker of that cake
a prize and Kevin and Amy our
congratulations! That cake is fantastic,
by every meaning of the word.

ME DRAGON, YOU JANE

Jane , the hip
magazine for
women under
30, ran a brief
article about
Dungeons &

Dragons in
its June/July
issue, Alas,

D&D only received attention because
of the d20 Book of Erotic Fantasy , but
hey, in the first sentence the author
admitted to having friends who play
D&D, and she didn’t wisecrack about
D&D players being unable to get laid
until the last sentence. We're moving
up in the world!

If you get a copy and want
to check it out, you'll find the
article on page 117, just above
Jane's review of various forms of
female contraceptives.

A MATCH MADE IN A DUNGEON

A letter from Rebecca Kinraide of
Madison, Wisconsin:

My husband and l have both been
gamers for over twenty years, and we
met each other through gaming seven
years ago. U was therefore natural that
we would include gaming dements in
our wedding fast October: By far what
got the most attention were the wedding
cakes. In addition to the large sheet cake
decorated like a gaming mat, complete
with miniatures to represent the wedding
party, I made six cakes shaped like the
six basic D^D dice . (In order to make
those cakes, 1 had to commission a
metal worker to create special pans,) We
thought other readers of Dragon might
enjoy seeing that when geeks marry, they
don’t have to settle for normal, boring, or
traditional. They can have their dice and
eat them too.

Congratulations, Rebecca and Akira,
and happy anniversary!

Those cakes look awesome. I'm
marrying a gamer (my finacee of
two years, Helen Wojdechowski)
this month, and weVe both
envious of your cool cakes. 1 bet
other gamers are too.

Hey t if you still have those oddly
shaped cake pans, you might have
a tidy business*. ..

Matthew Semelt

DRAGON 324 October 2004

RPC A UPDATE

by Ian Richards
RPGA Program Manager

The RPGA wants to enhance your
role playing experience, so you can
play more, with more people* and
receive rewards for the games you
already love. Last months “RPGA
Update” gave a general overview of
what the RPGA does, so let's pick up
where we left off.

How Do I Join?

Tire RPGA allows different levels of
participation: general membership
(sometimes referred to as player
membership) and game master
(GM) membership. Whichever you
choose, and you can be both, you
must be a member to participate
in all the fun. Membership is free*
and you don't have to worry about
continually renewing—it's good
forever. Get started by going to the
RPGA website at rpga.com*

With the general membership*
you are eligible to play in RPGA-
sanctioned events all over the world.
With the GM membership* not only
are you eligible to play in RPGA-
sanctioned events, you can GM
games at those events, download free
RPGA adventures, and even host
your own events. This last option is a
great way to build gaming groups in
your area* especially when you team
up with a local retailer using the
D&D Campaigns retail kits.

What Can I Do?

The RPGA presents several event
types, and the best way to find an
RPGA-sanctioned event is to check
the online Events Calendar.

Home Play: Home play is exactly
what it says. Play your home game
with gaming content we provide.

Play RPGA adventures, and earn real
treasures from D&D Rewards with

your regular gaming group.

Game Days: These public gatherings,
usually one-day events at a retail
location, are devoted to playing games.
Anyone can play, and RPGA members
are always welcome to participate.

Conventions: Conventions feature
dealer rooms* auctions* seminars*
workshops* award ceremonies*
early or exclusive access to new
adventures* and other special
features, but they also often offer
RPGA events*

What Do I Get?

With D&D Rewards, you amass
reward points every time you
participate in RPGA-sanctioned
games. When event results are
reported, the RPGA records your
points in its database. Your points
accumulate over predetermined
intervals called durations* and
after each duration, your points
are totaled, and we mail you some
gaming goodies* Although this
program and its treasures are free,
you must register for D&D Rewards
to participate. Players and CMs both
earn points for their participation.

Players earn points toward
campaign cards—full-color,
collectable, gaming cards granting
unique character creation and
play possibilities.

GMs earn points toward special
game templates, RPGA-exclusive
D&D miniatures, and Dungeons
Dragons Miniature expansion packs.

What are the D&D
Campaigns Retail Kits?

D&D Campaigns refers to a retail
support program for DUNGEONS
$ Dragons Miniatures events and
roleplaying events. Each month, a
new D&D Campaigns season begins*
and a new retailer kit is released. The
kit contains materials to support up
to twelve players for skirmish play or

twenty-one players for a roleplaying
session (one GM and four to six players
at three tables}. Since retailers can order
up to four kits per month, we include
instructions on combining kits to
support many more players if necessary.

Each kit contains two season
posters; twelve unique terrain tiles:
seven promotional miniatures; three
spell-effect templates; the copies
of a new roleplaying adventure;
tournament league, and roleplaying
paperwork; reporting forms; and a
D&D Campaigns newsletter. The kit
is available to retailers through the
Wizards of the Coast direct
sales department.

What About D&D Mmatures Games?

The RPGA* in conjunction with the
DCI (the organization that runs
official Magic tournaments), now
supports Dungeons Dragons
M iniatures skirmishes through
league and tournament play.

Leagues are casual Dungeons
i£ Deacons Miniatures skirmish
events* The typical league runs a
two-hour session each week for a
predetermined period, usually a
month* Participants earn points each
time they play at a session. At the
end of the month, the players' points
are totaled to determine a victor and
prizes are awarded.

Tournaments are more
competitive DuNC£ON$^ Dragons
Miniatures skirmish events* They
are typically limited to a single day
of play. Participants battle in a series
of consecutive games based on their
win-loss records. After the final
match, the victor is declared and
prizes doled out.

How Do I Find Out More?

If you want to know more about how
you can get involved in the RPGA's
exciting activities, read more at the
RPGA website, rpga.com.

October 2004 DRAGON 324

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EES REAPER MINIATURES REAPER MINIATURES

UNDER COMMAND

by Mike Mearls

images provided by Wizards of the Coast

T he Archfiends expansion for the
Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures
game blew the roof off the power
curve. With 200-point games now a
viable option, plenty of nasty critters
can join warbands to torment your
opponents and grind their miniatures
into the map grid. The aspects—living
shards of a god’s power—are the stars
of the set, while heavy hitters like the
Bone Devil, Erinyes, Silver Dragon, and
Vrock can all single handedly take on a
100-point warband.

This article presents some new
scenarios that focus on these
powerful figures for both your D&D
miniatures and roleplaying games.
Designed as fun alternatives to the
standard miniatures game, most of
these scenarios involve a fair dose of
luck, making them better suited to

casual games than tournament play.
In addition, three or more players
make for the best game play with
these scenarios, although all of them
are playable by two. Use the standard
rules from the Miniatures Handbook
for playing games with more than
two players.

PROWLIMC MONSTERS

Several of these scenarios include
powerful monsters that attack each
player’s warband with equal ferocity.
These simple rules allow you to play
games on battlegrounds already
overrun by creatures without giving
either side an advantage.

Prowling monsters are any creatures
on the battle grid not members of any
player's warband. Such monsters use
a simple set of rules to govern their

activation, movement, and attacks.

Keep in mind that prowlers work best
in casual games and that no set of rules
can perfectly cover every situation. If
any doubt arises regarding a creature’s
actions, take a vote of the players or
resolve it by having each player roll
ld20, with the highest rolling player
making the judgment call. In the D&D
roleplaying game,
you might use
similar rules
of behavior to
manage large
numbers of
monsters or to
create encounters
where creatures
in the area hold
no stake in the
fight but might

Medium Fire
Elemental

DRAGON 324 October 2004

become embroiled in it. For example,
if a gang of ores attacks the PCs near
a kobold lair, the kobolds might attack
either group if they perceive them as a
threat to their lair.

The player who won initiative
chooses who gets to move the
prowling creatures first. This
position rotates around the table in
a clockwise direction. Players make
all choices for a prowling figure, but
they must obey the rules that govern
a prowler's behavior.

Prowling creatures activate two at a
time. They take their turn after the last
player to go on the current round. The
prowling creatures with the lowest cost
activate first. In case of a tie, choose
one at random. Players continue
moving prowling creatures until all of
them activate.

PROWUKG MONflfR RULE

A prowling monster normally
acts like a difficult creature that
considers all warband
members its foes.

However, if it cannot
see an opponent it
moves in as straight
a line as possible
toward the center of
the nearest terrain
tile and stops once
it reaches that
destination. If it
starts its move at
the center of a tile,
it moves toward
the center of the second-
nearest tile. A prowling
monster doesn't remember its path,
so it might simply move back and
forth between two tiles. If it ends its
move between two tiles, on its next
action it moves toward the nearest
one, even if it heads back toward
where it started.

If a prowling monster possesses
any beneficial spells, it casts them
on itself rather than move if no
targets are in its line of sight. A
creature never casts a spell more
than once unless the effects stack.
For example, a prowling Cleric of

Lathander never casts magic weapon
on himself more than once.

A prowling monster always uses
its most damaging attack,
whether it be ranged
or melee. If it
possesses spells, it
casts its highest*
level offensive
spells first.

If a prowling
monster fails a
morale save, it fees
toward a randomly
determined corner of
the map. A prowling
monster never gains the
benefits of Commander
Effects, even from other
prowlers with Commander ratings.

Prowling monsters fall into one
of the three following categories.

Using these different possibilities
for prowling creatures allows you to
create your own scenarios
or build on the examples
given here.

Guardian;
Sometimes, a
prowling creature
guards a location.
These creatures stay
within an area of
the grid. They never
move more than 12
squares away from
a set spot on the
map, such as the
middle 2 squares
at the center of a
terrain tile. This
location is specified at the beginning
of a scenario. A guardian might use
ranged attacks against opponents,
but it never leaves its location to
attack. A guardian that comes
under attack from ranged
spells or weapons moves
to break line of sight with
its attacker or gain cover
if it lacks ranged abilities
capable of reaching the
attacker.

Sentinel: Rather than move
between terrain tiles, the sentinel
moves through a specific sequence

of spots on the grid. Pick at least
two squares on the grid and number
them, starting from 1 and proceeding
along the sentinel's path. A
sentinel always moves toward
the nearest designated
spot and, once it
reaches It, moves to
the next numbered
spot. For example, a
sentinel that reaches
square 3 then moves
to square 4. A sentinel
attacks its opponents as
normal, but once it no
longer has any visible
opponents, it moves
to the nearest spot on
its path and starts the
sequence over again.

Slayer: A prowling slayer attacks a
specific type of creature. Pick a single
creature type. If you select humanoid,
select a subtype. The prowling creature
attacks the nearest opponent of that
type, ignoring closer foes. If it does not
see the chosen type, it acts as normal.

the mmo\

The scenarios here are designed
for both Dungeons & Dragons
Miniatures and the D&D roleplaying
game. The majority of the figures
listed for each come from the
Archfiends expansion set, although
you might substitute figures with
the same point cost {or CR) if
they aren't part of your collection.
For the miniatures game, these
scenarios should serve as templates.
They add additional complications
and dangers to whatever scenario

Vrock

Abyssal

Evtscerator

October 2004 DRAGON 324

UNDER COMMAND

Erinyes

you use them with.
The roleplaying
game material
describes an
encounter that you
might insert into
an adventure or
as part of a larger
dungeon crawl.

BETWEEN H R0()( AND
(I HARD PlACf

Sometimes, it's all
about perspective.

When warbands
meet to do battle,

they might think their struggle is of
unquestioned importance. However,
sometimes a fight between two
groups of warriors is little more
than a diversion from the true
battle at hand. In this scenario, the
players' warbands stumble into the
battleground of two groups of rival
outsiders. They must fight to defeat
each other and sidestep the conflict
around them.

MIHIRTUREI

Select a scenario as normal In
addition, both players create a
200-point warband that consists
of outsiders and elemental This
warband must include at least one
figure that costs 70 points or more.

Here are two sample warbands you
might use as examples;

Chaotic Evil; Abyssal Eviscerator,
Aspect of Orcus, Vrock.

Lawful Evil: Aspect of Lolth, Dretch
(x3), Erinyes, Medium Fire Elemental,

COMBAT ZONE
PROWLING CREATURES

These warbands consist entirely of
prowling monsters that act as slayers
hunting enemy outsiders. Each player
sets up these creatures in the comer of
the map grid adjacent to the location
of her entry tile. On their turns, both
warbands of prowling monsters move
toward the center of the map. This route
inevitably ends in the two warbands
attacking each other, but they also attack
members of player-controlled warbands
that come within their line of sight.

Play proceeds as per the rules given for
prowlers and whatever scenario you
choose to play.

If you score points for
eliminating enemy models
in the scenario, you gain
half the normal points if an
opponent’s model falls to a
member of either outsider
warband. Otherwise, use the
scenario’s special rules and
victory conditions as normal.

Dretch

Creature

Number

Appearing

1-20

Warrior Skeleton

2d4

21 - 40

Duergar Warrior

ld6

41-50

Gnoll Archer

IdS

51-60

Nothic

ld3

61 - 70

Young Minotaur

ld2

71 -30

Dread Guard

ld2

SI -37

Wereboar

ld2

SB - 93

Ochre jelly

ld2

94-96

Abyssal Eviscerator

97-100

Hill Giant

ROLfMG

Using the basic guidelines of this
scenario adds an additional challenge
to almost any encounter. The PCs
might need to hide as two aspects battle
each other or an ore tribe battles a mob
of gnolls. Each group should consist of
creatures that total an EL equal to the
party's level +1.

When using this encounter, give the
PCs plenty of cover to hide behind.

This scenario works best when the
characters must hurry to defeat an
opponent or move through an area.
Perhaps the party runs into the battle
while leaving a dungeon. Already
battered and injured, they
cannot afford to stop and
fight. If the characters must
take their opponent alive,
the presence of a second,
unrelated combat makes
things much more interesting.

COMBAT Ml

A battle erupts in an
area already thick with
bystanders. The creatures
caught on the battlefield
seek to avoid the fighting,
but they take cover in

terrain that both sides might try
to exploit for a tactical advantage.
If left alone, they stay out of the
fight, but if provoked, they might
prove the difference between
victory and defeat,

MINIATURES

Set up the game as you would
for any scenario. After all players
set their warbands on the grid,
populate the area with native
monsters. Each terrain tile is home
to a strange monster that fights to
defend its lair. Roll d% for each

tile and consult the Combat
Zone Prowling Creatures
chart to determine the
monster that resides
there. These creatures
act as guardian prowling
monsters tied to the two
squares at the center of
their corresponding terrain
tile. You score no points
for defeating a prowling monster,
but your opponents score half the
normal points (depending on the
scenario) if you lose a figure to one.

ROlfPLATING

When the characters stop to rest at
a tavern, they find themselves under
attack from a gang of bandits. These
thugs could serve a recurring villain
from your campaign, or they might
simply want to rob travelers who
come through the area. The gang
consists of the following miniatures
from Archfiends: a Cultist of the
Dragon, a Half-Ore Barbarian, and
two Zhentarim Fighters. When
patrons sit down to eat dinner at
the tavern or inn, the bandits strike,
counting on the chaos and confusion
to hinder the PCs. After all, the
villains have no compunction against
striking down innocents. Use four
Sages and four Dalelands Militia
figures to represent the bystanders.
One of them is actually a Wereboar—
choose a figure at random and replace
it with the Wereboar if the figure
suffers damage. During the fight,
these bystanders take cover behind
tables and chairs, but if caught in a

DRAGON 324 October 2004

2 -

spell's area of effect or if they take
damage for any reason, they attack
the closest character or bandit. If
either side comes within 4 squares of
a bystander, roll ld4 and consult the
reaction table below,

d4 Reaction

1 Attacks the nearest bandit or PC.

2 Moves from cover to find a safe
position [DM's choice).

3 Stumbles between a bandit

and PC, offering the combatants
cover from one another,

4 Moves at random through
the tavern.

THE SUMMONING (IRQE

A band of cultists have gathered
to summon an aspect of
Demogorgon from the outer planes.
Unfortunately, the cultists decided to
hold their ceremony on the site of a
skirmish battle,

MUM

This scenario makes use of five
Sage miniatures as the cultists. You
might substitute other miniatures,
such as the Cultist of the Dragon, if
you don't have enough Sages. Place
a Statue Room terrain card in the
center of the battle grid. The players
take turns placing the Sages on the
tile until they are all in place. Sages
must stand on the terrain tile, and
they cannot be adjacent to each
other. Each player places two tiles
on the board in addition to an entry
tile. Each turn, the Sages summon a
creature that appears on the Statue
Room tile. This creature acts as a
basic prowling monster. It ignores

the Sages and instead attacks the
warbands. In addition to gaining full
points for killing miniatures from
enemy warbands. players score 20
points for each sage killed and points
equal to half the miniature's cost for
killing summoned outsiders.

The Sages continue to summon
monsters as long as any of them
live. Creatures appear each round in
this order: two Abyssal Eviscerators,
one Bone Devil, one Vrock, and one
Aspect of Demogorgon. The Sages
count as Chaotic Evil for this scenario,
but the creatures they summon use
their alignments as normal. The
Sages never move as they conduct
their ceremony, and in their fanatic
devotion to Demogorgon, they ignore
all threats. They count as fearless and
automatically succeed at all morale
saves. If somehow routed, they try to
escape to a random entry area. If a
Sage escapes, no one gains the points
for destroying it. The scenario ends
when either all the warbands are
destroyed or the Sages are slain or
routed from the table.

ROlfPlflYlKG

A small sect dedicated to the worship
of Demogorgon has uncovered the
Book of Duality, a tome that includes
the ritual needed to call an Aspect
of Demogorgon into the world.
Awakened in the middle of the night
by a small group of frantic church
leaders and military officials, the PCs
receive news of this dreadful event.
The townsfolk beseech the characters
to halt the ceremony, which takes
place in under an hour. The characters

might need to use magic to arrive at
the ceremonial chamber, a massive
cavern beneath the city, or they might
take a skiff through the sewers.

Set up a battle grid from the
miniatures games with the Statue
Room in the middle. Place four more
terrain tiles of your choice on the
map, with one tile directly between the
Statue Room and each side of the map.

Four Sages conduct the ceremony
in the statue room. In addition, a
Vrock, two Abyssal Eviscerators,
and two Yuan-ti Purebloods guard
the approach. These foul creatures
serve Demogorgon and hope to help
shepherd the aspect into existence.
When the characters arrive, they have
5 rounds until the aspect arrives. It
appears in the center of the statue
room. Luckily, it first attacks the
sages, but once it devours them, it
attacks the characters.

I f the PCs defeat the monsters,
they uncover a copy of the Book of
Duality, From notes in the book, they
discover that there other cults lurking
throughout the region seeking to call
Aspects of Demogorgon. If enough of
them succeed, the foul demon lord will
arrive on the Material Plane to wreak
havoc across the land.

The cultists and their demonic allies
make an EL 11 encounter, S

October 2004 DRAGON 324

SILICON SORCERY

by i\ Wfesiey Schneider
images provided by Piranha Bytes

T he Sleeper, an unnatural hell-beast
you battled against in the original
Gothic, met defeat. Drawn shrieking
back into the nightmare void that
spawned it, its final enraged howls give
birth to the plot of Gothic II.

You soon find that the abominatiorfs
howls were not merely shrieks of rage,
but words of power. Spoken in the
language of all monstrosities, these
otherworldly cries sounded over the
entire world, binding all evil things to
obey these terrible words. Thus, with
the death of one of the greatest among
them, the monsters of the world rise,
forging an army to lay siege to the
world of men*

Naturally, only you can stop them.
From the first moments of your
quest when you reawaken in a
necromancer's tower, untold options,
freedom, and magic are available to
you. Whether the first scrolls of healing
you stumble across or the alchemical
ingredients and formulas available
throughout the game, magic acts as an
ever-present ally on your quest. Yet no
other arcane option in Gothic H’s magic
system shows its power and versatility
more clearly than the use of runes.

RUNES

Runes are arcane or divine symbols that,
like scrolls, create magical effects when
read. In Gothic 1I f anyone can draw upon
the power of runes, effectively casting
spells by invoking one of these symbols
of power. Runes commonly appear as
a single, detailed symbol carved into a
fist-si zed stone or inked upon a sheet of
vellum, although some might take other

forms. Whether a rune of fireball actually
looks like a streaking fireball or nothing
more than a series of complex markings
varies from rune to rune.

This article presents everything you
need to create and use runes in your
own D&D game and presents several
examples of the most widely used and
useful spells that runes can hold.

USING RUNG

Any creature that touches a rune
gains full knowledge of what magic
the symbol holds, how it works, what
the limitations are, and how to active
it, conveyed as a command word and
instinctual details spoken directly to the
rune holder's mind. Activating a rune
requires a standard action as the bearer
holds the nine and speaks its command
word. Upon doing so, the rune's spell
is cast as if by a spellcaster of the rune's
caster level Once invoked, the rune
disappears from whatever surface bore
it, and it cannot be used again.

[M Rif [ITEM CREATION

You can create runes.

Prerequisite; Scribe Scroll
Benefit: You can create a rune of any
spell you know. Scribing a rune takes
one day for each 1,000 gp in its base
price. The base price of a rune equals its
spell level x caster level x 75 gp. To etch
a rune, you must spend 1 /25 of this base
price in XP and use up raw materials
costing one-half of this base price.

Any rune that stores a spell with a
costly material component or an XP
cost also carries a commensurate cost.
In addition to the costs derived from

WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU?

Coth/c if and its predecessor present
a world that could easily fit into any
traditional D&D fantasy setting, Filled
with powerful magic users, terrible
monsters, and a population of diverse and
interesting people, Gothic If presents a
world ready for exploration,

The game provides dozens of options
from the very first moments. Given a
character who is essentially a clean slate, you
choose and develop his skills and abilities
and select from any of a hundred different
paths and adventures. As you progress, you
eventually gain the option to take on a more
specialized ‘'prestigious 11 class that opens
up new, more powerful options and abilities.
This, combined with familiar skills that
allow your character to do things like pick
locks, create potions, and take trophies from
fallen foes, give the feel and freedom of an
ongoing D&D campaign,

Gothic tl’s diversity doesn’t end with
your character. Monsters and villains
throughout the game come in a wide
variety and seem to have as many options
as the hero, Standard ores don't exist in
this game; while one ore might operate
as a lowly fighter, the next could be a
powerful spellcaster. Of course, ores aren’t
as fearsome as the trolls, shadowbeasts,
or dragons you must face before you
complete your quest.

With hundreds of choices for your
character and thousands of N PCs from
whom you never know what to expect.
Gothic II provides the perfect fix for
diehard D&D players who can t wait until
their next game session to go adventuring.

DRAGON 324 October 2004

the base price, you must expend the
material component or pay the XP
when scribing the rune.

SRMPLE RUM DESCRIPTIONS

These sample rune descriptions can be used
either as new magic items or as examples to
help you create your own runes.

Rune of Banishment: Holy images
and orthodox verses cover the face of
this rectangular silver plaque while, at
its center, a relief of a heavily armored
saint plunges a spear into a demonic
serpent. As you grasp die image, the
faint echo of a dying roar seems to
murmur through the air.

Moderate abjuration; CL 11th; Etch
Rune, banishment; Price 4,950 gp.

Rune of Cure Serious Wounds: This
smooth wooden disk dangles from
a tattered cord of worn leather. Its
splintering surface is painted with the
image of a three-pronged drop of blood
that glistens as if still wet.

Faint conjuration; CL 5th; Etch Rune,
cure moderate wounds; Price 1,125 gp.

Rune of Dispel Magic: A complex,
starbursdike pattern, still surrounded by
jagged shards of glass, glimmers within
the frame of this broken mirror. The
reflective symbol seems to consist of
splinters of the shattered mirror, although
its not obvious how they remain attached.

Faint abjuration; CL 5th; Etch Rune,
dispel magic; Price 1,125 gp.

Rune of Enervation: Singed into this
yellowed wolfs skull is a disturbing
mark of an angular death's head. The
grim brand feels cool to the touch, but
faint wisps of acrid smoke periodically
rise from the macabre image.

Moderate necromancy; CL 7th; Etch
Rune, enervation; Price 2,100 gp.

Rune of Magic Missile: The stylized
image of a sleek winged dart is etched
upon this egg-shaped blue-gray stone.
Although as hard as normal granite,
the rock hums faintly and sporadically

vibrates and twitches as if something
living buzzed inside.

Faint divination; CL 1st; Etch Rune,
magic missile; Price 75 gp.

Rune of Telekinesis: This foot¬
wide square of yellow cloth bears the
stain of a clutching, black handprint.
Although the fabric appears delicate,
it has a surprising weight to it, but
not as though the material is heavy,
more like some force constantly tries
to pull it away.

Moderate evocation; CL 9th; Etch
Rune, telekinesis; Price 3,375 gp.

Rune of True Strike: This curve
of scrap iron looks like a piece of a
sundered metal shield. Deliberate
scores cover one side with a pattern
of countless gashes, each almost
piercing the ruined metal yet
the whole retains a strength and
sturdiness despite the scars.

Faint divination; CL 1st; Etch Rune,
true strike; Price 75 gp. ^

COMMON RUNES

Rune

Price

Rune

Price

Rune

Price

0-Level Spells

3rd-Level Spells

6th-Level Spells

Qme water

37gp

Catl lightning

1125 gp

Analyze dweomer

4,950gp

Cure minor wounds

37gP

Daylight

It 725 gp

Bull's Strength r moss

4,950 gp

Dancing lights

37 gp

Fireball

1125 gp

Find the path

4,950 gp

Detect magic

37gP

Gaseous form

1,125 gp

Heal

4,950gp

Detect poison

37gP

Prayer

1125 gp

Liveoak

4,950 gp

Flare

37gp

Protection from energy

h 125 gp

True seeing

5,200 gp

Guidance

37g p

Remove blind nessfdeafness

1,125 gp

7th-Level Spells

Mage hand

37gp

Remove disease

T ,125 gp

Creeping doom

6,825 gp

Purify food and drink

37gp

Stinking cloud

1,125 gp

Delayed blast fireball

6,825 gp

Virtue

37 gp

Wateiwalk

1,125 gp

Destruction

7,325 gp

1st-Level Spells

4th'Level Spells

Finger of death

6,825 gp

Burning hands

73 gp

Air walk

2, lOOgp

Power word blind

6,825 gp

Cure light wounds

73 gp

Bestow curse

2,100 gp

Resurrection

16,825 gp

Entangle

75 gp

Charm monster

2,100 gp

8th-Level Spells

Identify

175 gp

Divination

2,125 gp

Forthq unite

9,000 gp

Mage armor

73 gP

Freedom of movement

2,100 gp

Holy word

9,000 gp

Magic missile

73 gp

Holy sword

2,100 gp

Planar ally, greater

11,5 00gp

Magic weapon

75 gp

Ice storm

2,100 gp

Polar ray

9,000 gp

Sanctuary

73 gp

Polymorph

2,100 gp

Prismatic wall

9,000 gp

Shield

73 gP

Restoration

2,200 gp

Symbol of death

14,000 gp

Steep

75 gp

Tongues

2,100 gp

Trap the soul

9,000 gp

2nd-Level Spells

5th-Level Spells

9th-Level Spells

Aid

450 gp

Baleful potymoqsh

1375 gp

Etherealness

11,475 gp

Alter self

450 gp

Break enchantment

3,375 gp

Gate

16,475 gp

Barkskin

450 gp

Chudksll

3,375 gp

Heal, mass

11/475 gp

Slur

450 gp

Flame strike

3,375 gp

Power word kill

11,475 gp

Cot’s grace

450 gp

Raise dead

8,375 gp

Shapechange

11,475 gp

Darkness

450 gp

Teleport

3,375 gp

Wish

36,475 gp

Flame blade

450 gp

Wall of stone

3,375 gp

Glitterdust

450 gp

Wall of thorns

3,375 gp

Knock

450 gp

Web

450 gp

October 2004 DRAGON 324

A NOVEL APPROACH

by F. Wesley Schneider

AMERICAN COM

merican Gods, by Neil Caiman,
tells the tale of a centuries-
long conflict between the gods
of ancient myth and the modern
deities replacing them. America
becomes their battlefield, as it acts
as a volatile divine melting pot,
home to generations of immigrants
who brought their stories, beliefs,
monsters, and gods with them.

The story follows the travels of
Shadow, a good-hearted ex-con whom
fate left homeless and without a
family. Hired by Mr. Wednesday, a

glass-eyed, swindling former deity
who's fallen on hard times. Shadow
becomes embroiled in the struggle
of the ancient gods. Zigzagging
across the country, the unlikely
pair struggle to rally mythological
allies to join their fight against the
modern pantheon's new deities, such
as Media, the techno-boy, and Mr,
World. Through their travels, Shadow
finds the world's thin veil of the
mundane lifted away, revealing the
mythical creatures and ex-gods we
pass on the streets every day.

WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?

American Gods is the sequel to every myth
you've ever read. Spanning cultures and
continents, the book resurrects the fallible
gods of old and brings their modern lives
to light. Aside from the cutting wit, epic
conventions, and brilliant storytelling
of this modern myth, American Gods
contains a treasure trove of ideas for D&D
players and DMs alike.

For players, the story presents a heroic
inspiration: a single man. caught up in
the devices of the gods, both old and new.
Roguish tricks, fantastic schemes, and
quick thinking make this book a veritable
guide to dealing with the divine. For tricky
players, Shadow s coin tricks and swift
deceptions should give your next Slight
of Hands check more than a little added
flair. Characters with sharp tongues might
benefit from the gods' witty verba! duels
and divine cons. Take some pointers
from the hundreds of heroic—and not SO
heroic—displays throughout the tale, and
learn a good deal about how to behave
when dealing with the most powerful
beings in creation.

As for Dungeon Masters, American
Gods offers hundreds of views of
how deities interact with mortals and
presents an interesting Jook at deities
in their declining years. Throughout the
story, gods like the morticians Mr, ibis
and Mr, jackal, spidery Mr, Nancy, and
morbid Chernobog, disguise their lives
in America, As in ancient mythology,
adopting this kind of direct godly
interaction with mortals could certainly
keep characters, both religious and
otherwise, on their toes. Also, the idea
that gods become more like mortals as
they lose worshippers and the rise of new
gods related to modern (or fantastically
modern) thought and necessities might
make for a great campaign. Both of these
concepts could also easily insert into an
existing D&D game with little work and
bring the powers of deities to a new and
dynamic forefront

DRAGON 324 October 2004

GODLY GEAR

As in any ancient myth, the gods of
American Gods and their followers
make use of a wide variety of
weapons and signature items. This
article presents a number of tools
and artifacts, each inspired by similar
relics appearing in American Gods ,
as magic items ready for use in your
D&D game,

KB BRHBCH

A twig from the tree that supports
the world* this thin, 2- foot-long,
twisted branch still bears leafy
sprouts, as if newly cut from its
parent tree. This item seems like a
simple branch until thrown. As it
flies through the air, it straightens
and takes on an almost metallic
sheen, transforming into a +3
adamantine spean After an attack,
whether or not it struck its intended
target, the javelin transforms back
into a simple branch.

Moderate transmutation; CL 8th;
Craft Magic Arms and Armor, plant
growth; Price: 21,301 gp; Weight 3 lb.

(AERNOBOG'S SLEDGE

The favored weapon of the du all Stic
god of creation and destruction,
this simple warhammer appears
to be merely a rusted, rectangular
block of pig iron attached to a
worn, splintering wooden haft.

It seems perfect for slaughtering
cattle. Although it looks like little
more than a rusted tool, Chernobog's
sledge is in fact a +3 mighty cleaving
woun ding warhammer . H owever,
it only operates as such at night.
During the day, it functions merely
as a masterwork warhammer.

Strong transmutation; CL 12th;

Craft Magic Arms and Armor, deeper
darkness; Price: 72,312 gp; Weight 10 lb,

EAGLE STORES

Legends say these small blue
pebbles come from the skulls of
thunder birds, creatures supposedly
hunted to extinction by ancient
savages. Now found only upon the
highest mountain aeries or ancient
boneyards, these magic items are

as potent as they are temporary. If
placed in the mouth of any dead
creature, regardless of race, size,
or Hit Dice, the eagle stone casts
true resurrection on the corpse.
Unfortunately, the magic of an
eagle stone only works once, and
after returning a creature to life* it
becomes nothing more than a shiny
blue stone.

Strong conjuration; CL 17th; Craft
Wondrous Item, true resurrection;
Price: 7,650 gp; Weight—.

MflD lEFRECHiUK'S COIN

Said to come from an ancient fey's
treasure hoard, this featureless
gold coin dangles from a simple
silver chain and has the size
and weight of two normal coins
stacked. Legends say that any
creature wearing this coin never
dies—a partial truth as much a
curse as a blessing. If the wearer
of the mad leprechaun's coin dies,
the coin animates him 24 hours
later as a zombie. If the wearer is
destroyed as a zombie, or if the
mad leprechaun's coin is removed,
the wearer does not reanimate,
but can be returned to life through
normal magical means. The mad
leprechaun's coin only affects
creatures that die while wearing the
necklace and cannot be placed on a
corpse to reanimate it

Faint necromancy; CL 5th; Craft
Wondrous Item, animate dead; Price
30,000 gp; Weight —

WEDNESDAY'S lEfT EYE

A fracture runs through this chipped
gray glass eye. Considered a lucky
charm to those with good intentions,
a magnificent blunder involving this
item made it the bane of swindlers
and con artists of all sorts. A
character bearing Wednesday's left eye
gains a +4 bonus on all Diplomacy,
Heal, and Survival checks, but suffers
a -4 penalty on all Bluff* Intimidate,
and Slight of Hand checks.

Faint transmutation; CL 3rd; Craft
Wondrous item, eagle's splendor; Price
6,000 gp; Weight —,

WEDNESDAY’S PIN

This simple silver pin bears the
embossed image of a massive ash
tree with arching branches and
deep roots. Slightly tarnished but
nevertheless a tasteful accessory,
those who examine the pin closely
might see a miniscule hawk, squirrel,
and snake hidden among the roots
and branches of the tree. Characters
who attach this pin to a shirt or
cloak gain a +2 bonus on all Bluff
checks while wearing it. Once per
day, the pin's owner can throw it on
the ground to create the effects of
a Quaal's feather token (tree). The
pin remains a tree for t hour before
transforming back into a pin.

Strong transmutation; CL 12th;
Craft Wondrous Item, major creation;
Price 24,000 gp; Weight —.

ZORYfl POLUWOCiHHYH i MOON

This simple silver coin appears newly
minted, but it is otherwise completely
unremarkable. Once per day, the
bearer can transform the coin into
a glowing sphere that emits light
equivalent to a torch, exactly like
one of the light globes created by a
dancing lights spell. The coin remains
lit for 1 hour, and during that time,
its owner can direct it as a dancing
lights spell {maximum range 130
feet). While in its light globe state,
the coin's owner can voluntarily seize
it, or another creature can attempt to
grab it. Zorya Polunochnaya *s moon
has AC 24 while animated, 20 hit
points, and hardness 8.

Faint evocation; CL 3rd; Craft
Wondrous Item, dancing lights; Price
1,000 gp; Weight—, 2

October 2004 DRAGON 324

COMICS

t[i

Utsr |

hours

STILL

meltinq

ff*

fAAXBE WE
SHOULD
TORTURE
IT WITH

F!RE.^

THIS IS WHAT
; WE WILL 00 i f
VJE WILL WNT
UNTIL IT

moves II

OR SPEAKS I!

RUN I!! ITS TfttmGi

to bore us

To DEATH !'!

-t

DRAGON 324 October 2004

ores,

GOBLinS,

DraGons,

anA 9lticJLuj/

The creature count is on the rise in Southern California,
But they're not all cute and fuzzy.

Blame the thousands of gamers attending Gen Con So Cal,
and the RP6, ICG. board and electronic games you come
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at the show, and in the So Cal area. Like Disneyland, oh,
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COMICS

by Aaron Williams
tuww.nodwick.com

A dragon on the wing if a dream to
tome folk... A nightmare to other*.

AND M DtSA&UEP ALL

THE UMOSWEVE SEEK

IMNTTHNK
IT HEARD US

r ANDMV ^
PROTECTION FROM
NAU6HTNE55 SPELLS
M/ST FULL
L. POWfR! A

~ fcSJvTT THERE ^
SUPPOSED TO BE A DRAGON
^ WHERE?

OH, I’M ^

j f oumwwuMwrm

A THIS PUCE. ^
/AND YOU KNOW. \
f YOLRREUANCEON 1
r HENCHMEN TO SOLVE
PROBLEMS IS YOUR
GREATEST WEAKNESS
WITHOUT THER COMMON
k SOKIM)EXPaiOMKnV
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GRAVES LONG JR

T SO. IF I TAKE
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MORE TERfYAW-STIR FRV BEFORE BEDTIME
FORVOVGUYS. ^

DRAGON 324 October 2004

oor

ousm

MoiJ

ecai.

He fell down tke stairs.

by ke£

was bitten by bears.

He was overcome ky tke measles,
And devoured by weasels,

He ckoked on a bone,
And died old and alone.

We sk ou Id all

Af/AS

JHI 11LO

wav atlas-games.com

In Gloom . you control tin* line of an
eccentric family of misfits. Your goal is sad. but simple:
make your characters stiller the greatest tragcdit*s possible
befon* helping them pass on to the well-deserved respite of
death. Play cards with horrible mishaps like Pursued by
Poodles or Swindled b\ Salesmen on your own characters.

while frying to cheer your opponents' characters with
happy occasions. The transparent earth reveal or obscure
the effects of cards Itelmv: in the end. the totals
showing through determine your score ...
may the most miserable soul win!

2 to 4 Players • Ages 8 and Up

AUrjoO • ISBN I hWB iHiK \ • Sl‘1.93 US

COMICS

"THE DREADED

PENUMBRA HULK!

YOU TURN THECORNE1
AND THERE YOU SEE I'

WHAT?

Tgop TtoP TR»t>

.. THE PENUMBRA HULK! GASPl^V
( A FELL BEAST WITH 71 HIT POINTS/^ I
L * RM Q R CLASS 18 AND A TEMPER THAT 1 I
\SUITS ITS CHAOTIC EVIL ALIGNMENT'^! I
- -^BE CAREFUL. IT...

\ ATTACK/^-

HUZZA Hf L/ lh f --^

if ^ ‘( felHB) /UM..I READY

¥ Si ( *Y "BOOTS

/ 1 -£) WF FLEEING!

BUT WAIT! YOUR EXIT TOO
IS BLOCKED, FOR THE PENUMBRA
HULK HAS AN ALLY!"

"A UNICORN!
AND IT’S ANGRY!

UNICORN?

BUT.BUT
THOSE ARE
. CHAOTIC

\ GOOD!

WHAT? WHAT?

5WVBK.

snvW.

f WH« S A
UNICORN
DOING IN
A CAVERN,
t ANYWAY?

DRAGON 324 October 2004

w OH NO! OH ^
NOl YOU KNOW WHAT
THIS MEANS, DON'T ,
. YOU? XT

THE..UH..

KOBOLD OF

COURSE...

YOU HAVE NO TIME TO THINK
UPON SUCH MATTERS! FOR AT
THAT MOMENT, THE KOBOLD ARRIVES!

...FOLLOWED BY THE REST
OF ITS GROUP, THE KUO-TOA
PALADIN. AND GNOME!”

^t.OUR DUNGEON MASTER WAS TOO CHEAP TO PICK UP
MORE THAN ONE SET OF RANDOM COLLECTIBLE MINIATURES
BEFORE DESIGNING THIS ADVENTURE

OOO! 000! LOOK OUT! THE LAST MEMBER OF THEIR
PARTY, THE FEARSOME EMPTY
MINIS BOX MONSTER, IS ON ITS
WAY! TROD, TROD, TROD!

THIS UNHOLY
BOND BETWEEN
CHAOTIC EVIL,
LAWFUL EVIL. LAW¬
FUL GOOD. NEUTRAL
EVIL AND NEUTRAL
GOOD?

^OME UNHOLY FORCe\
HAS UNITED THESE
PASSIONATE FOES IN AN
ALLIANCE THAT SHALL
MAKE THE WORLD OF

October 2004 DRAGON 324

H P jpvEc raft's Influence on
Dungeons & Dragons

ith all the elves, magic rings, dwarves, ores, and hob*
bits—ahem, halflings—in the game, there’s no denying
the fact that ). R. R. Tolkein's work influenced Gary
Gygax and Dave Arncson as they hammered out the rules
for what would someday become Dungeons k Dragons.

Yet Tolkein was by no means the only influence on the
game. Numerous authors inspired its creation: Robert E.
Howard (from Conan to the remorhaz). Fritz Lei her (from
thieves’ guilds to wererat empires), Michael Moorcock (law
vs. chaos and soul-eating swords), jack Vance (demon lords
ami preparing spells). These writers earned a reputation for
their tales of high fantasy and adventure, but another author
belongs on this list (even though the "heroes” in his stories
more likely fainted or went mad when faced with lighting
monsters): Howard Phillips Lovecraft.

IpvECRAFT'S Ijfe

H. P. Lovecraft was born on August 20. 1890. As a child, he
spent his time exploring the nearby countryside and ancient
buildings; even at this age. old things held a special fascina¬
tion for him. He also cultivated an early appreciation for the
fantastic, and he loved to hear fairy tales, ghost stories, and
the like. Eventually his tastes turned to Grimm’s Faiiy Tales,
the Arabian Nights, Greek and Roman mythology, and by age
eight, to Edgar Allen Poe. Science (particularly astronomy
and chemistry) also intrigued him, but lie gleaned most of*
his knowledge from his family’s library. Frequent bouts of ill¬
ness led to an inactive childhood, and he missed school more

college or joining the military, so he finally turned to the one
thing he felt he could do well: writing.

Although he broke into print at age sixteen (with a
monthly astronomy article in the local daily paper), he had
already written many short stories. Unfortunately, he soon
grew dissatisfied with fiction and destroyed almost all of his
earlier work. For many years, he focused his energies on
verse, essays, and criticism. In 1914. lie joined an amateur
press association and quickly forged many life-long friend¬
ships and contacts with other writers. It wasn't until 1917
that he returned to fiction with two supernaturally themed
stories, "The Tomb” and “Dagon.” He continued to write
weird fiction until his death 20 years later.

Lovecrafl’s early fiction went through several stages. He gen¬
erally regarded his earlier stories, like "Herbert West—Reani-
mator." as “very poor.” I le became a regular contributor to pulp
magazines, selling stories to several different magazines such
as Amazing Stories and Weird lilies. When he wasn’t writing his
own stories, he reviewed and revised die works of other writers
(including a story by Harry Houdini). As the years crept by, his
stories grew in length and complexity, making it increasingly
difficult for them to find homes in pulp magazines.

In the last few years before his death in 1937, Lovecraft
produced only a couple of stories a year. A lew years later,
Lovccraft’s friend August Derleth founded Arkham House,
an imprint dedicated to collecting Lovecraft’s writing between
cloth covers and keeping his work available as the years
marched on. Arkham House grew into an important pub¬
lisher of science fiction, fantasy, and horror, and continues to

often than not. His health problems prevented his attending

Jim X

LW*

October 2004 DRAGON 324 37

mT^

LOVECRAFT ON
SHARED MYTHOS

"Regarding the dreaded Necronomicon of
the mad Arab Abdul Alhazred—I must
confess that both the evil volume & the
accursed author are fictitious creatures
of my own—as are the malign entities
of Azathoth, Yog-Sothoth, Nyarlathotep,
Shub-Niggurath, etc. Tsathoggua & the
Book ofEibon are inventions of Clark Ash¬
ton Smith, while Friedrich von junzt &
his monstrous Unaussprechlichen Kulten
originated in the fertile brain of Robert
E Howard. For the fun of building up a
convincing cycle of synthetic folklore, all
of our gang frequently allude to the pet
daemons of the others—thus Smith uses
my Yog-Sothoth, while I use his Tsatho¬
ggua. Also. I sometimes insert a devil
or two of my own in the tales I revise or
ghost-write for professional clients. Thus
our black pantheon acquires an extensive
publicity & pseudo-authoritativeness it
would not otherwise get “

—from a letter to William Frederick
Anger; August 14,1934

publish books to this day. Lovecraft’s sto¬
ries have now seen publication in a wide
range of editions, languages, and medi¬
ums. but always, the stories endure.

Lovecraft’s stories belonged to a genre
he referred to as the “weird story.” Weird
stories present tales in which things are
not what they seem, stories filled with
fantasy and terror inconceivable in the
real w orld. Some of these tales were
lurid shockers, like “Herbert West—
Reanimator” and “The Lurking Fear.”
Others were fanciful tales set in an
alternate world known as Earth's Dream¬
lands; these stories, like “The Doom that
Came to Sarnath” or The Dream Quest of
Unknown Kadath , with their medieval
flavor and emphasis on exploration and
discovery, present themes closest to
Du nc;eons & Dragons. Yet his most
successful and best know n stories devel¬
oped the Cthulhu mythos.

In “The Call of Cthulhu.” Lovecraft
introduced us to an ancient and mon¬
strous entity known as Great Cthulhu,
a vast alien creature that slept in a
ruined city deep under the Pacific
Ocean. Cults worshiped it. artists
went mad when their dreams brushed

against its slumbering nunA and in after Lovecraft’s death, and today his

the end, the vast being itself emerge!
momentarily from its aeons-lon^leep
to walk under the stars.

In other stories. Lovecraft continued
to expand on this mythos, adding other
alien entities and unknowable primeval
gods to an ever-expanding pantheon.
These monstrous beings had names
that have since become infamous: Yog-
Sothoth. Azathoth, Shub-Niggurath,
Nyarlathotep. The stories themselves
only very rarely focused on these crea¬
tures: usually a story mentioned their
names to provide additional weight and
menace. Lovecraft also invented numer¬
ous ancient texts filled with forbidden
lore about these Great Old Ones, but the
most enduring of these texts (and argu¬
ably Lovecraft’s most famous invention)
was the Necronomicon.

Yet the greatest factor in cementing
his creations into the history of fantasy
and horror is the fact that he encouraged
his friends to write about his inventions.
He asked them to include the books and
entities in their own stories, and most
importantly, to make up new additions
to the growing mythos as they saw fit.
Many of these writers became acknowl¬
edged masters in their own right; Robert
E. Howard, Clark Ashton Smith. Fritz

influence is more invasive tharrnne
might suspect Stephen King regufarly
makes use of Lovecraft’s creations in
his novels, usually as subtle references
but sometimes basing entire stories
around the mythos. Video games drip
with Lovecraftian references; anyone
remember the name of the final boss
in the original Quake? Answer: Shub-
Niggurath. How about Alone in the
Dark, one of the first computer games
to embrace a true 3D environment (and
the inspiration for countless of follow¬
ups, including the smash hit Resident
Evil games)? Also, a new video game
by Headfirst Productions called Dark
Corners of the Earth, set in Lovecraft’s
signature town of Innsmouth. releases
this year. Many of Lovecraft’s stories
have also been translated onto the
silver screen with varying degrees of
success, but his themes and “Yog-
Sothotherv’’ appear in movies like
Evil Dead and Hellboy. Even television
shows, from Star Trek to Futurama.
periodically get in on the fun.

So in retrospect, it only seems natu¬
ral that Lovecraft had his hand in the
inspiration of Dungeons & Dragons
as well. What might be surprising is
just how- much he influenced the game.

Leiber, and Robert Bloch made up only

a handful of Lovecraft’s circle. Lovecraft

followed his own advice and snuck in
a Yig here and a Ghathanothoa there
in the revision projects he worked on
for hopeful writers, further seeding the
names into history. He even went as far
as to borrow names invented many years
before by deceased wTiters: Hastur, for
example, first appeared in the writings
of Ambrose Bierce, and Dagon originally
came from the religion of the Philistines.
Lovecraft never used the term “Cthulhu
mythos” to refer to these stories; the
closest he got was oflhand references
in some of his letters to “Cthulhuism &
Yog-Sothothcry.” In a strange sort of w'ay,
he and his friends engaged in a practice
not dissimilar to the Open Gaming
License of the d2() system, sharing their
inventions freely to create something
larger than the sum of its parts.

Incredibly, this shared universe
only picked up steam over the decades

Of course, the most obvious Lovecraf¬
tian inspirations appear as the numer¬
ous times the Great Old Ones and his
other monsters emerge with game sta¬
tistics. Undaunted by the fact that many
of his inventions (including a blind idiot
god, creatures far larger than planets,
and intelligent colors) simply don’t
translate well into “flesh and blood”
statistics like a troll or a dragon might,
many authors presented Lovecraftian
monsters like shoggoths and their ilk
for the various incarnations of the D&D
rules through the ages.

The first incarnation of Lovecraft’s
works in D&D appeared in Dragon
#12. with Robert |. Kuntz’s article, “The
Lovecraftian Mythos in Dungeons &
Dragons." and it immediately fell vic¬
tim to the continuity trap: Lovecraft and
his friends didn’t limit themselves to
strong continuity between stories when

38 DRAGON 324 October 2004

they used the rnythos. Different socict-
ies worshiped the Great Old Ones in
different ways, and as a result, a reader
could come away with vastly different
interpretations of the mythos, depend¬
ing on which stories he read. That
article presented D&D statistics for
several of Lovec raft’s Great Old Ones
and lesser monsters, and it quickly
generated a stir. A fan named Gerald
Guinn was so taken aback by Rob’s
interpretation of the mythos that he
sent in a letter of complaint to the edi¬
tor. This letter, printed in issue #14 of
Drac.on, suggested alternitive statistics
for the Great Old Ones and monsters
in tlu* earlier issue. Of course, both
interpretations contained errors, yet
at the same time both interpretations
were equally valid.

Next came the first printing of Deities
iv Demigods for the first (‘dilion Advanced
DnN (.ions k Dragons rules. Tins book
presented no less than seventeen panthe¬
ons of Ili stork and fantastic deities and
creatures for use in the game, and much
to the delight of Ixmirafi fans every¬
where, the book included a beefy section
on the Clhulhu mythos. Unfortunately,
legal complications prevented the inclu¬
sion nl the Clhulhu mythos in the second
printing of Deities Demigods, and for
many long years, the game lac ked dircc t
statistics for tin* Great Old Ones, fortu¬
nately, another game company, Chao-
sinm Inc.. filled the void with their excel¬
lent ( all oj (lludhu roleplaying game.

Then in 2002, Wizards of the Coast
and Ch.iosium Inc. strut k a deal. Wiz¬
ards would produce a d20 version of Cha
oMiim’s (dll oj (ihulhu roleplaying game.

While entirely self-contained, t'
introduced in Cut oi CrHVt.m a re quire
compatible with D&D; the book ever
includes an appendix filled w ith notes
and suggestions on how to use the book
in D&D campaigns. After an exile of
nearly two decades, the Great Old Ones
returned to Dung ions k Dragons.

Numerous Dungeons* Dragons
adventures published by TSR, Wizards
of the Coast, and other companies over
the years draw on Lovecraftian themes.
Gary Gygax made the Dark God Than/-
dun the focus of his adventure The For¬
gotten Temple ofTharizdun, in which a
clan of giants and goblinoids moves into
an ancient mountain temple that just
might contain the imprisoned body of
an eldritch demon god. Many years later,
Return to the Temple of Elemental Foil
took up Tharizdurfs torch again, further
detailing the dark god of madness and
entropy. Although Robert J. Kuntzund
Gary Gygax created Thai izdun, he obvi¬
ously owes his pedigree to Lovecraft.

In 1981. TSR released the second
adventure for their Expert Rules for
D&D: Castle Amber. I his adventure
featured a family of lunatic s that dwell
within the titular edifice. Adventur¬
ers who delved too deeply into Castle
AiiiImt found themselves transported
to a strangely haunted realm know n
as Averoigne—the same Avcroigiie
invented by one ol lovec raft s greatest
friends, Clark Ashton Smith, who made
liberal use of lovec raffs inventions (and
several of his own) to craft a fantastic
version of medieval France haunted by

LOVECRAFT ON GAMES

"There is a basic difference between the tense drama of meeting and overcoming an inevitable
problem or obstacle in real life, and the secondary or symbolic drama of meeting or overcom¬
ing a problem or obstacle which has merely been artificially set up. The chess-player has no
breathless sense of uncovering unknown secrets of the cosmos, as the real research scientist
has; while the football-player lacks the intense exaltation of knowing that his efforts are neces¬
sary to save his country from disaster. Accordingly, I feel quite justified in believing that games
and sports ought not to be ranked among the major phenomena of life. However—let it not
be thought hat I am denying them any place whatever in the scheme of things. They have,
undoubtedly, the poetic value of symbolism. Chess, by bringing into play the same human
forces which are used in conquering the unknown and planning life, is a sort of ceremony in
celebration of those forces—an exaltation of the forces as intrinsic things in themselves, all
apart from the question of object.”

—from a letter to Robert E. Howard; October 3. 1932

vampires, necromancers, and teiitaded
monsters that slithered in the nigmH /

Several years later, in 1984. TSR ptw>-
lished Mordenkainen's Fantastic Ad ven¬
ture. Not only did this adventure feature
several artifacts inspired by Lovecraft
(including the Silver Key of Portals and
an ancient book of forbidden know ledge
called the lome of the Black Heart), but it
also contained several tantalizing hints
to a mysterious lx>st City of the Elders.
Many of Lovecraft’s stories revolve
around the discovery of lost cities, most
notably The Dream Quest of Unknown
Kaclath (in which the hero sets out on
a quest to find a lost city). At the Moun¬
tains of Madness (in which a lost city that
holds the kc> to the his tor) of life on
Earth is discovered in Antarctica), and
The Shadow Out of Time (in which a lost
city holds the mind-blasting secret to a
man's amnesia). Certainly, something
equally eldritch and terrible lurks in the
Lost City of the Elders!

Another adventure with a distinctly
Lovecraftian feel is Bruce Cordell’s The
Cates of Firestorm Peak. In this adven¬
ture. a fiery comet in the sky heralds the
opening of a pair of vast doors on fire¬
storm Peak, giving the PCs a chance to
infiltrate a massive dungeon tilled with
progressively more alien and disturbing
monstrosities. Deep inside f irestorm
Peak lies a portal to an insidious region
beyond sanity and light known only as
the Par Realm, and the unknowable but
hostile entities of this hideous region
prepare to pass through into the world.

One of the more recent d20 adven¬
tures to embrace lorn raft’s themes
are the various Freeport adventures and
supplements published by Green Ronin.
In iu(t. then first publication, Death in
Treeport, offered not only one of the first
d20 produ< is available after the release of
third edition D&D. hut it also featured a
< ult ol demented lunatics who had more
than casual ties to Lovec raft's snake-god
Vig. as well as to a sinister ancient deity
known only as the Unspeakable* One
(who might or might not lx* I lasttir).

Beyond the actual game statistics for
the monsters and the adventure's based
on Lovecraftian themes, an impressive

October 2004 DRAGON 324 39

LOVECRAFT ON
FAFHRD AND THE CRAY
MOUSER

M |Harry O. Fischer and Fritz Leiber'sJ
myth-cycle, originally started by Fischer,
involves my own pantheon of Yog-
Sothoth, Cthulhu, etc., and revolves
round the adventures of two young
characters (Fafhrd the Viking, modeled
after Leiber—who is six feet four—and
the Cray Mouser, modeled after the
diminutive Fischer) in a vague congeries
of fabulous and half-fabulous worlds of
the remote past. Fischer's parts of this
cycle are vivid but unformulated and
disjointed, so that at present Leiber—the
better craftsman—is the only publicly
visible author of the pair."

—from an unfinished letter to james F.
Morton; March 1937

number of established D&D conven¬
tions draw inspiration from his writing.

Abolrlhs: These abominable ic blip ic
monsters wotiId find themselves right
at home in one of I ovecralVs stories.

I oven rail loathed seafood, and this
hatred often manifested in his work in
the form ol sea monsters and terrible
mysteries hidden in the depths of the
ocean. 1 1 ist as the creatures in many
ol his stories, the a hole! It are an alien,
aquatic race'that builds\asl undervvatei
i ilies and preys on humanity the same
way we prey upon cattle.

’flic Creator Race: In the I out.oi n\
Ri m us. the mysterious c realm race
first rose to power and dominated the
world. The concept ol an ancient race,
advanced even when the world was
young, in best represented in one ol
I ovecralVs greatest works. \f f/ic Moun¬
tains oj Madness . In this short novel, a
group of Antarctic explorers discover a
primeval cits frozen in the ice beyond
a range of impossibly tall mountains.

\\ Idle exploring this e it\. they discover
that 11u* inhuman denizens of the city
c reated life on Earth, although it turns
out that they created all other creatures
to serve as slaves. These Old One's, like
the Creator Race, moved on. hut their
creations and discoveries remain to this
day in their respective worlds.

Evil Tomes: Dangerous hooks have
been a Dungeons* Dkac.ons staple
from the beginning. Magic tomes like

the Book of Vile Darkness, the* Codex
Infinite Hants, Iggivilv’s Demon iffr icon,
and the Tome of the Black Heart contain
sec rets so mind-numbing and souJ-
wronching that merely glancing through
their pages might ruin your character.
Lovecraft made constant use of ancient
texts and blasphemous tomes of
knowledge, the most famous being the
Necronomicon. Of course, the immediate
effects of reading the Necronomicon were
now here near those of reading a cursed
D&l) book like the Vacuous Crimoirel

The Far Realm; Originally introduced
in Bruce Cordells adventure The Cates of
Firestorm Beak, the Far Realm is a dimen¬
sion of madness and horror that lies
Ix'yond the rim ol the planes, lovecraft
often wrote of other dimensions and
realms so alien to humanity that to know
them tempted insanity, and more often
than not. his monsters and Great Old
Ones related c losek to these dimensions.

Ghouls & Gliasts: I ovec rail wrote
many stories about ghouls, some of
\\ I lit h (like “The Outsider" or "Tic kman’s
Model") featured them in this world,
hul just as many placed them in Earths
Dreamlands, a medieval parallel world
that exists beyond dream and in a dimen¬
sion ot its own. In tilt* Dreamlands,
degenerate humans who succumbed to
the' taste' of human cadavers devolved
into I era I monsters called ghouls. Yet
the ghouls were in turn menaced by the
gliasts, stronger ghoullike creatures who
added cannibalism to their list of gas¬
tronomic al wie kedness. Gliasts remain
one of the lew lovec ra Ilian monsters to
directly become D&D canon.

Mind Flayers: Of all the classic
Dunc.i ons \ Dr vc.ons monsters, no
creature* more blatantly owes homage
to I .ovec raft Ilian the mind Haver. Apart
from a difference in si/e* (and a lack ol
rudimentary wings), the* mind flayer is
the spitting image of Lovecraffs most
famous monster. Great Cthulhu. Yet
the' influence extends far beyond the
mere physical. As with I ovecralVs alien
Mi-Go. mind flayers obsess over brains.
Whereas the' Mi-Go extract human
brains and ensconce them in metallic
cylinders that allow the brain a terrible
continuance of life, mind flayers use
llie'iu as a source of food and reproduc¬

tion. Also, just like the ancient Great
Race featured in "The Shadow Out of 1
Tune", mind flayers build great uiuf r-
ground cities and travel through the
dimensions by projecting their minds
and thoughts outward through the gulfs
of reality. Finally, fhc mere fact that
mind flayers blast the minds of lesser
creatures into reeling despair cine lies
the deal: the mind flayer might he the
most passionate attempt to capture
l.ovecrafl w ithin the constraints of D&D.

Sahuagin and Kuo-Toa: In Tlu
Shadow Over Innsmouth," a traveler
comes to a decaying Massachusetts
sea port only to realize almost too late
that the malformed citizens of the
town interbreed with a race of fishlike
humanoids from the deep. These deep
ones build vast underwater cities and
often seek contact with human settle¬
ments loi their own nefarious ends.

In D&D. the sahuagin and the kuo-toa
offer the* c loses! analogs. The connec¬
tion to I ovecralVs deep ones becomes
even stronger with the introduction ol
malenti. sahuagin offspring identical in
appearance to aquatic elves and used to
infiltrateelveu cities to inflict mayhem.

Serpent Folk: More' horrific anthropo
morphic animals appear in I .ovecralVs
writings than just fish-people. I Ic- also
mentions races ol serpent folk in many
of his stories, and although he never
touches much on these creatures in
his writing, they appear quite often in
Robert I I Inward's stories, particularly
in certain tales of King kull. In any case*,
tlu* serpent folk worship ) ig. a snake
god invented by Lovec.rail for one ol Ins
revision clients. As with fish-men. D&D
has a long tradition of snake-people. aN
yuan-ti appeared in the I9KI adventure
Duellers in the Forbidden City (wliic li
coincident!) also introduced aholeths).

The Silver ke\ of Portals: I ovec rail
wrote two stories that foe.used on a
magic artifact called the Silver Key: a
device that served as a locus ol sorts
and allowed its owner to travel through
various dimensions and unlock hid¬
den portals. In 1984’s Mordenkainen's
Fantasia Adventure (recently revisitext in
issue#! 12 of Dt \<.,h»\), Mordenkainen
himscll owns an artifact called the Silver
Key of Portals that unlocks any door, and

40 DRAGON 324 October 2004

(in its third-edition incarnation) allows
travel through the dimensions as well.

The Underdark: Finally, we come to
the Underdark. The concept of a vast
underground world is not unique to
D&Dor to Lovecrafl Yet the Underworld
as described in I < net raft's The Dream
Qwest of Unknown Kadath bears a slrik-
iug resemblance to the Underdark, In
llie Dreamlands, the Underworld holds
a vast network ol lightless caverns and
tunnels below the surface of die world,
where the gods banished the gugs. a race
of hairy gtanls. Numerous other races,
sui h as ghouls and ghasis. also populate
the Underworld. Thefetislimeiit of the
gugs mirrors in many ways I lie banish'
men I of I he dmw to the Uuderdark. and
holli also sh,nv ihecomcpl of inonstmus
civilizations m 1 he dark below, finally,
lheiv + s the simple lael I hat ihemajorit)
ol | he Unet radian races (tn<>si notably
the a hotel h utld the i Hi I bids) dwell in the
deepest reaches ol the UilderdarL

So how do you include louvrall in your
t>X 1) eani|xiigu? I-orlmulely, several prod
tiiIs already present the majoniy ol game

mechanics you might need Th^d20 Col/
oj Ohulhu roleplaying game offers count
less tools and rules lor using Lovcci^man
themes in Du mu i ons * D wagons. The

a band of hybrid pirates and smugglers
who might just hide a terrible secret in
common with one of your PCs. lYahajl at
the very least you might do what tovecraft

statistics there need some Iweaking In did so many times and simply drop a few

convert over to the revised D& D rules. names. Perhaps not all of your players will

For madness in D&D, you should check catch the tine meaning behind the strange
out Unearthed Arcana, wliieh reprints the reference to sonlething itamed " Yog-

sanity rules, from tltal game in great detail. Sothoth" in the local vicar’s diaiy, but iliose

Yet. even if you don’t own CtiB of Clhuthii who do wifi uol soon lorgel lhe discovery!
(which contain statistics loi dozens of

Unenahian monsters, Ureal Old Ones,

magic ileans, and spells) or Uircnrt/uv/
Airanu. you can si ill run an effective
f oveaa Than-themed campaign simply
by reading fiis siories and using them
as inspiration for your ad vent uim The
radioactive menace from 'The Coloni oul
ol Spate could convert to a half-fiend will
o-wtspghosi | ha I appears on a farm a Her
a freak l ift op$ns and closes belween llie
Material Plant* and llie Abyss. The villain
from "'llie Si range Case nl Charles IVxler
Ward" t on Id be a biller an.me spetli aslei;
shinuled by llie 1 1 m m l h. who somehow
lonnd an anane (and tni|XT led) solulion
to file alterdeath. I he filulai kxation
from Tile Shadow over Innsmmith”
could Income the fuse el o|xaalious lor

All til lovecraft s stories remain avail¬
able in bookstores in various editions
(both paperback and hardcover)* Arkliam
1 louse Publishers, Inc. still publishes
I be definitive editions, which, il you * ant
find them a I your loc.il IxMikslore. can lx*
purchased online at arkhamhouse.eoni.
l oveeraft s fit lion and revisions (whit h
in many cast's, are almost compleleh Ins
own willing) are collet led in I he follow
tug lour Arklumi I louse volumes:

The Dummch / fenw ami ( Hher\

\t the Mountains oj Madness and
(>/hf r Mu* tffrrr /ides

Jktgon fuif/ ( hlter Mat aim Vales
The Horror in the Museum and Other
Revisions tT

NODWICK & PS238

FANTASY • HUMOR • SUPERHEROES • ADVENTURE • LEGE

It'* the beginning
a new chapter In
« Nodwick saga as
ny gets a visit
the mysterious
lergy in Black!*
our heroes gone
far In mucking up
e events? Is
only solution to
them from the
ilverse? Pick up
odwfck 25 for thrills,
" Ills, and extra
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hM ell

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I n the Ebbrron Campaign Setting t
mortals touch another plane when
they sleep: Dal Quor, the Region of
Dreams, The quori t outsiders that gave
birth to the kalashtar and the Inspired,
claim this realm. Dal Quor is a plane
of flowing shadows, constantly shifting
to reflect the subconscious desires of
mortal minds and the lesser spirits that
prowl its fringes.

The Eberrqn Campaign Setting
describes one inhabitant of Dal Quor:
the tsucora quori, which feeds on the
primal fears of its victims. This article
presents seven additional denizens of
dream, divided into three categories:
eidolons, drifters, and the quori.

/tit kvfcmy ik TW 1 H 5

Every nighedreamers psychically project
their minds to Dal Quor, The mechan¬
ics and possibilities of adventuring in
dreams could easily provide enough
material for an entire article, but the fol¬
lowing rules can aid a DM who wants to
take her party into the Region of Dreams.

The simplest way to handle dream
encounters is to allow the dreaming
characters to possess the same equip¬
ment. prepared spells, or power reserve
they have in the waking world. However,
other possibilities certainly exist. A
fighter might find himself battling with¬
out his armor. A wizard could have no
spells whatsoever, or she could find she
has access to arcane knowledge of which
she had only dreamed.

Under normal circumstances, a
character's dreams cannot harm him,
although some natives of Dal Quor have
abilities that can affect creatures on
other planes. A character usually faces
only figments of his imagination in Dal
Quor, and most Dal Quor denizens can
only force the character to wake up from
his nightmare,

Only creatures native to the plane
of Dal Quor can physically travel to it.
Nonnative creatures can reach Dal Quor
only in dreams, and the plane manifests
nearly everything in their dreams as a
figment. In other words, a sleeping char¬
acter who dreams of battling monsters
fights only figments manifested by the
plane, not real monsters. The character's
“dreamseir is also a figment; no harm

TM tKr

TWtUCJ

The creatures of Dal Quor are denizens of
the mind, and many have natural psionk
abilities. However, if your campaign doesn't
use psionics, you can make the following
changes to fit the quorf into your campaign.

* Replace power resistance with
spell resistance.

* An Autohypnosis check can be made to
resist fear or the secondary effect of poi¬
son. A dying character can substitute a DC
15 Autohypnosis check for the usual stabi¬
lization check.

* Put Knowledge (psionics) skill ranks into
Knowledge (arcana) until that skill has the
maximum allowable ranks, then put the
remainder into Spellcraft skill ranks. Put
Psieraft skill ranks Into Spellcraft until that
skill has the maximum allowable ranks, then
put the remainder into KnowEedge (arcana)
skill ranks. If the re are skill ranks leftover,
place them into KnowEedge (the Planes),

* Treat inertial armor as mage armor.

Hob: Treat the hob s power of metamor¬
phosis as polymorph, except as noted in the
ability description. Its Metamorphic Transfer
feats, essential to the creature's abilities,
allow It to gain two of the supernatural abili¬
ties of a form ft turns into, usable three times
per day each.

Spell shadow: Replace the spell shadow's
Psionic Hole feat with Dodge,

Du 1 ora Quark Swap out the dulora’s
Ghost Attack, Power Penetration, and Ps ionic
Fist feats with Improved Natural Attack
[from the Monster Manual), Spell Penetra¬
tion, and Weapon Focus (slam).

that befalls the "dreatnself 1 actually
harms the dreaming character. Normal
rules also don't always apply, thus 1st-
level wizards might be able to cast disin¬
tegrate spells on Dal Quor, while goblins
could have a thousand hit points.

Real creatures do exist on Dal Quor,
however. A dreaming character con¬
fronted by such a creature can attack it
using any of her true abilities and weap¬
ons. Thus, a 1 st-level wizard confronted
by a real quori on Dal Quor cannot
harm the creature with imaginary “fig¬
ment spells" beyond her natural ability,
such as disintegrate. However, a spell-
caster can cast any spell she normally
has to deal real damage to the real crea¬
ture, The speltcaster then loses the spell
from memory (or she uses her spell
slot) as normal for her spellcasting class
until she wakes up. Similarly, a 1 st-level
fighter might dream of slaying monsters

Replace the p$Mike abilities of the du'lora
with the following spell-like abilities: At
wiW—mage hand, message; 3/day— confusion,
mage armor, true seeing; 1 /day— blasphemy,
cure serious wounds. (When a du'lora uses
confusion, its victim aEso adds 1094 to the
roll made determine the victim's action each
round.) Caster level 10 th.

Hashalaq Quark The euphoric touch abil¬
ity should have the effect of Jio/d monster.
Replace the psi-like abilities of the hashalaq
with the following spell-like abilities; At
will— charm monster, detect thoughts , mage
hand, message; 3 /day— cure moderate wounds ,
discern lies , mage armor, touch of idiocy; 1 /
day— dream, polymorph, scorching ray, vam-
pine touch. Caster level Sth.

Kalaraq Quori; Replace the kalaraq's
Empower Psi-Llke Ability, Power Penetra¬
tion, and Quicken Psi-Like Ability feats with
Empower Spell-Like Ability (from the Monster
Manual), Spell Penetration, and Quicken
Spelt-Like Ability (from the Monster Manual),

Focused mind seed transforms the person¬
ality of the victim Into a mirror of the kalaraq.
The process takes one week and requires a
miracle or wtsb to stop it. Replace the psi-like
abil ities of the kalaraq with the following
spell-llke abilities: At will— charm monster,
enervation, greater dispel magic, mage armor,
invisibility, mage hand, mass hold person, mes¬
sage, touch of idiocy; 3/day —-finger of death,
horrid wilting insanity; 1 /day— mind blank.
Caster level Ifith.

with an imaginary +5 longbow, but when
tonfronted by a real denizen of Dal
Quor, the fighter's imaginary weapons
deal no damage to the creature. If he
wishes to deal real damage, the fighter
must use his actual statistics and pos¬
sessions from the real world, including
ammunition (although upon waking
he finds that he actually spent none of
his ammunition). Similarly, a quori can
attack a "dream character” on Dal Quor,
dealing real damage with its natural
weapons. Even then, a slain “dreamseir
results only in the character waking up,
uninjured, as damage sustained on Dal
Quor doesn't translate to real damage on
the Material Plane, (Only quori with the
invade dreams ability or a similar ability
can truly harm creatures on the Material
Plane.) Dreaming characters can kill
quori on Dal Quor, which is why they
prefer to use their invade dreams ability

October 2004 DRAGON 324

El ?

Not running an Eberrqn campaign or
planning on using a Region of Dreams
in your game? You can still make use of
these great new monsters.

The hob and s pel [shadow are easy to
adapt Both can exist in your game world
without much modification. If you feel you
need to, you might change their creature
types to something other than outsider.
Monstrous humanoid makes a good
choice for the hob h and a spell shadow
makes an interesting aberration. Either
could also be a great undead creature.

The quori might more easily exist in a
non-EBERRON game without their dream^
lords theme. They could be new types of
devils, or with an alignment change, new
types of demons. If you want to ground
them in your world, the du'lora and
hashalaq make cool aberrations, and the
kataraq could be a frightening undead.

and not attack dream characters in the
Region of Dreams,

Whenever a dreaming character
encounters a creature on Dal Quor, he
has a chance to figure out whether it is
merely a figment of his imagination or
a truly dangerous native denizen of the
plane. By interacting with the creature
(such as speaking with it or fighting it),
the character can make a DC 15 Will
save as if disbelieving an illusion. If the
character succeeds at the Will save, he
knows the true nature of the creature.
The DM should adjust the DC according*
to how closely the creature resembles
reality (for example, a seemingly unst¬
able goblin should lower the DC)*

E<peti£HCf m PuwhS

Usually it is inappropriate to pro¬
vide characters with XP rewards
for challenges they face in their
dreams* People dream every
night, after all! However, if the
party spends an extended amount
of time dealing with dream encoun¬
ters. the DM might want to give the
characters a small story reward.

If an adventure cannot conclude with¬
out spending some time on Dal Quor,
dream plane encounters should provide
a set percentage of the experience reward
such encounters would otherwise grant.
As long as an encounter includes real

creatures on the plane (such as quod)
instead of merely figments, the PCs
should receive some sort of reward. Eido¬
lons and other figments should never
provide XP, except as noted above. Other
creatures should provide roughly half
their usual experience if the encounter
takes place solely on Dal Quor,

The quori claim the heart of Dal Quor
as their realm, and dreamers rarely
reach that center. Instead, dreamers
prowl the fringes of the plane, shaping
the mutable environment with their
subconscious desires.

Characters most often encounter
eidolons in the fringe realms of Dal
Quor, Much like an illusion, an eido¬
lon is an imaginary creature conjured
to play a role in the dream. While an
eidolon might appear to act in an intel¬
ligent manner, an eidolon possesses no
sentience, it simply fulfills a role in the
dream, reacting in the required way to
meet the needs of the story Although
mindless, eidolons react as if
they possessed intelligence, and
thus mind-affecting effects affect
them normally.

An eidolon can appear as any
creature and typically possesses
that creature's

standard statistics. However, two excep¬
tions exist: nightmare eidolons and idyl¬
lic eidolons. Nightmare eidolons have
far greater power than the creature they
appear as, whereas idyllic eidolons are
remarkably easy to defeat* A nightmare
eidolon uses statistics from a creature
more powerful than the apparent crea¬
ture (as measured by the creatures'

CRs), while an idyllic eidolon uses the
creature statistics of a much weaker
creature, If you intend to have the PCs
dream without the players knowing,
you should use statistics for creatures
with roughly similar abilities* If the PCs
face dream monsters and their players
already know it (or you dorit care if they
figure it out), use whatever statistics you
wish.

Eidolons of Dal Quor are different
from the rogue eidolons introduced in
Monster Mammal IL

In between the purely imaginary eidolons
and Dal Quor's true children (the quori)
lurk the drifters—bizarre creatures
emerging from the collective minds
i of Eberron’s inhabitants to prey
k on dreaming souls. Drifters
mk possess sentient intelligence
H and can exist outside of a

dreamer's imagination, but
mk they have no common char-
H acteristics with one another.
Drifters do not reproduce
naturally; they emerge
fully formed within the
fringes of Dal Quor.
The following two
drifters represent
merely the tip of
the iceberg.

Small Outsider (Chaotic, Extra planar)
Hit Dice: 8d8+24 (GO hp)

Initiative: +9
Speed: 40 ft (8 squares)

Armor Class: 20 (+5 Dex, +1 size, +4
natural), touch 16 T fiat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +8/+S
Attack: Claw +10 melee (ld3+l)

Full Attack: Two claws +10 melee
(ld3+l) and bite +5 melee (ld4)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft*

ORACON 324 October 2004

Special Attacks: Darkest fears,
paralyzing fear

Special Qualities: Damage reduction
5/magic, immunity to mind-affecting
effects, immunity to poison, metamor¬
phosis power resistance 10. see in dark¬
ness, telepathy, tongues
Saves: Fort +9, Ref+11, Will +8
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 20, Con lb, Int 10,
Wis 15, Cha 18

Skills: Bluff+15, Disguise +25* (+27
acting), Hide +20, Intimidate+17, lis¬
ten +13, Sense Motive +13, Spot +13,
Tumble+16

Feats: Improved Initiative, Metamorphic
Transfer (2)

Environment: Dal Quor

Organization: Solitary

Challenge Rating: 8

Treasure: Standard

Alignment: Usually chaotic neutral

Advancement: 9-16 HD {Small). 17-24

HD (Medium)

Level Adjustment: —

A hunched humanoid lurks in the shadows,

/I Sands ahonf 3 feet talk and a patchwork
of black scales and mangy fur covers its skin,
/fs bestial head is almost as large as its torso.
u?ith 3 foot-long arms tipped with widows
cWs. ft snar/s, revealing a mouth full of
rotting fangs*

The predatory hob feeds on the fears
of mortal minds. Solitary by nature,
hobs roam the fringes of Dal Quor
searching for prey. The inscrutable
mind of the hob makes it immune
to mind-affecting spells and powers,
and as a result, hobs sometimes pose
threats to quori; hunting parties of
tsucora and dulora quori occasionally
roam the border realms, exterminat¬
ing any hobs they find. Some sages
believe that hobs occasionally find a
way to reach EBERRON,and encounters
with hobs might account for more
than a few folk tales.

A small humanoid creature in its nat¬
ural form, a hob has a hunched posture,
long arms, and a vaguely feline head
almost as large as its torso. It typically
runs on all fours.

Hobs can communicate telepathi-
cally with any creature with a language
within 100 feet.

A hob typically hides in the dream scape
of Dal Quor, searching the minds of
dreamers for an appropriately terrify¬
ing nightmare scenario. Once it finds a
suitable choice, it uses its metamorphosis
ability to take the form of a creature
appropriate to the setting of the night¬
mare, targeting the source of the night¬
mare with paralyzing fear,

A hob fights to satiate its appetite for
mortal terror. The death of a single crea¬
ture sates its needs, and it attempts to
flee soon thereafter.

Darkest Fears (Su>; A hob knows the
deepest fears of all creatures within 100
feet and uses this information when
choosing what forms to assume. This
requires no concentration or effort on
the part of the hob: it is a continuous,
intuitive sense. This also allows the hob
to detect the presence of any thinking
creature within 100 feet.

This power provides the hob with
enough information to carry out a con¬
vincing impersonation. If a character
fears an evil fighter, the hob knows
how the character expects the fighter to
behave. This provides the hob with a +5
circumstance bonus on Bluff and Intim¬
idate checks when it plays to a specific
character's fears.

Paralyzing Fear (Su): If the hob takes
the shape of what creature a single
enemy fears most, the hob can para¬
lyze its victim with unreasoning terror.
The DM and the character's player can
work together to determine what crea¬
ture a character fears most. Faced with
this apparition, the victim must suc¬
ceed at a DC 18 Will save or be dazed
and unable to take any actions for as
long as the hob retains that shape or
until the character makes a successful
saving throw. The victim may attempt
a new Will save each round until he
succeeds or until the hob changes
into a different shape, at which time
he breaks free of the daze effect and
is immune to that hob's paralyzing
fear ability for the next 24 hours. In
addition, if the hob makes a success¬
ful attack against a dazed victim, that
victim must immediately attempt an
additional DC 18 Will save or become
panicked for 2d4 rounds.

This is a mind-affecting fear
effect. The saving throw DCs are
Charisma-based.

Metamorphosis (Sp): A hob can
change its shape at will as a free
action. This works just like the
metamorphosis power, except that the
hob's Metamorphic Transfer feats
allow it to assume up to two of the
extraordinary or supernatural abili¬
ties of its new form, in addition to
keeping all of its own innate abili¬
ties. A hob can use an adopted power
only 3 times/day. The hob can main¬
tain the new form indefinitely, but it
resumes its natural form if it killed
or knocked unconscious.

Skills: The hob receives a +10 bonus
on Disguise checks when using its meta¬
morphosis ability,

Medium Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar,
Incorporeal)

Hit Dice: 6d8+6 (33 hp)

Initiative: +8

Speed: Fly 40 ft (perfect) (8 squares)
Armor Class; 16 (+4 Dex, +2 deflection),
touch 16, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/—

Attack: Incorporeal touch +6 melee (ld6
plus spell theft)

Full Attack: Incorporeal touch +6 melee
(ld6 plus spell theft)

Space/Reach: 5 ft/5 ft.

Special Attacks: Spell theft
Special Qualities: Arcane empower¬
ment, incorporeal traits, mage sense,
power resistance 17, see in darkness,
spell resistance 17, superior hide in
plain sight

Saves: Fort +6, Ref +9, Will +7
Abilities: Str —, Dex 18, Con 12. Int 6,
Wis 14, Cha 15

Skills: Hide +23, Knowledge (arcana)

+7, Listen +13. Search +7, Spellcraft +9,
Spot +13

Feats: Alertness, Improved Initiative,
Psionic Hole
Environment: Dal Quor
Organization: Solitary or gang (2-5)
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: None

Alignment: Usually chaotic neutral
Advancement: 7-16 HD (Medium)

Level Adjustment: —

October 2004 DRAGON 324

A vaguely human-shaped appaiition dis¬
torts the air. On closer examination, tiny
letters and symbols inscribed on the air in
faintly glowing imergy define the lines of
its body

The speUshadow feeds on the knowl¬
edge of wizards and other arcane
spellcasters. Some sages assert that
speUshadows manifest from the thirst
for arcane knowledge—that wizards'
desires for mystical power take form in
Dal Quor and feed on their creators.
Unless a character actively tries to
keep an eye on it the mere ripple of air
that marks a speUshadow is difficult
to spot. It has the vague outline of a
humanoid form, composed of mystic
symbols and runes. When it uses its
spell theft ability, the words that com¬
prise its body briefly flare with mystical
energy; otherwise, the speUshadow
is virtually impossible to see. A spell-
shadow understands Common and
Draconic, but it never speaks. Its only
sounds come from the whisperings of
the distorted fragments of spells it has
stolen in the past,

(JmM“

Hunger drives a speUshadow, If a
group has no arcane $ podcasters, the

speUshadow avoids contact
entirely. Otherwise, it uses
stealth and its incorporeal
nature to ambush spellcast-
ers, appearing on top of
them and draining magic
as quickly as possible.

While not terribly intel¬
ligent in most situations,
a speUshadow possesses a
keen instinctive sense of
the tactical uses of magic
and uses its stolen spells to
deadly effect. If it drains all
the spells that it can from
the party, it attempts to flee.
Spell Theft (Su): The
touch of a speUshadow
drains away arcane energy
and knowledge, stealing
prepared spells. Whenever
a speUshadow makes a
successful melee attack,
it drains ld6 arcane spell
levels from the victim. The speUshadow
steals one random prepared spell or
spell slot of the highest level it can. It
then steals the next highest-level spell
it can, up to the spell level amount it
rolled. For example, a speUshadow that
strikes a Sth-level wizard and rolls a 5
for its sped theft first steals a random
3rd-level spell (if the wizard still has one
prepared) and a random 2nd-level sped.
Against a Sth-level sorcerer, the same
roll would result in the speUshadow
draining two 2nd-level spell slots and a
1 st-level sped slot.

For every 2 Hit Dice it possesses
above 6, a speUshadow gains a +1 bonus
to its spell theft damage roll; thus a 10
H D spell shadow rods ld6+2 and has
the potential to steal Sth-level spells.

The speUshadow can store a maximum
number of sped levels equal to four
times its Hit Dice.

This is one of the rare cases where
dream damage affects the real world:
when a speUshadow drains a spell, the
victim cannot make use of that sped or
spell slot for 24 hours.

A speUshadow can cast any sped it
steals as a 6th-level caster. If the sped-
shadow steals a spell slot from a spell-
caster that does not prepare spells, it
can use that sped slot to cast a spell the

spellcaster knows that is appropriate for
the level of the sped slot.

Arcane Empowerment (Ex): A spell-
shadow feeds on arcane energy. When¬
ever it uses its sped theft ability, it heals
a number of hit points equal to the num¬
ber of spell levels drained. In addition,
any time an arcane spell affects the spell-
shadow, it automaticady heals a number
of hit points equal to the spell's level
This healing occurs before any effects of
the spell are resolved. A sped that fails to
get by the spellshadow’s sped resistance
doesn't heal the speUshadow,

Mage Sense (Su): A speUshadow can
sense any form of magic within 200
feet, as greater arcane sight, but without
actually needing to see the target. In
addition, the speUshadow can sense the
presence of prepared arcane spells not
yet cast and unused arcane spell slots,
which serve as the food of the speU¬
shadow, This ability allows the speU¬
shadow to ignore magical invisibility
and to automatically disbelieve illusions
without the need for a saving throw,

Superior Hide in Plain Sight (Ex): A
speUshadow can hide while observed
and even when it does not have cover
or concealment.

Skills: A speUshadow receives a +10
racial bonus on Hide checks.

Intelligent and immortal, quori
inhabit the central regions of Dal
Quor, Cruel but sophisticated, most
quori prefer psychological torment
to physical conflict Quori patience
knows no end. and they can wait
decades to take vengeance on a foe or
bring a plan to fruition. While often
deadly opponents, most quori want
to control every aspect of a battle: if
caught by surprise, a quori might flee
from an inferior foe, returning when
it has the upper hand.

Quori Subtype: Quori is a subtype of
the outsider type. It refers to a native of
the plane of Dal Quor.

Traits: A quori possesses the follow¬
ing traits (unless otherwise noted in a
creature's entry).

—Energy Resistance (Ex): A quori
has resistance to acid 10, cold 10, and
Are 10.

DRAGON 324 October 2004

—Greater Teleport (Su); On the plane
of Dal Quor, a quori can use greater
teleport at will as the spell cast by a 14th-
level caster, except that the quori can
only transport itself and up to 50 pounds
of objects. This ability does not function
on other planes.

—Immunities (Ex); Quori are
immune to charm, fear, and sleep effects.

—Power Resistance (Ex): A quori
gains power resistance equal to 11 + its
Hit Dice,

—See in Darkness (Su): A quori can
see perfectly in darkness of any kind,
even darkness created by a deeper dark¬
ness spell.

—Telepathy (Su): A quori can commu¬
nicate teiepathkally with any other crea¬
ture that has a language within 100 feet,

Quori Special Abilities; Quori that
meet certain prerequisites gain the fol¬
lowing additional special abilities.

—Invade Dreams ($p): Once per day,
a quori with at least 9 Hit Dice residing
on the plane of Dal Quor can cast dream
or nightmare on a specified creature on
another plane. When appearing in a
dream , a quori can assume an alternate
form, as if using alter self. The caster
level for this ability equals the quori's
Hit Dice. The save DC for the nightmare
version of this ability is Charisma-based.

—Possession (Su): A quori with at least
4 Hit Dice and a Charisma of 13 can
shuck its physical form on Dal Quor and
take on an ethereal spirit form, its spirit
can then possess a suitable and willing
human host (referred to hereafter as a
‘human vessel"). While in ethereal form,
the quoris corporeal body lies senseless
on Dal Quor in a state of suspended ani¬
mation, Direct damage or exposure to an
extreme environment harms it normally.
The quori can roam ethereally as long as
it wants, but the ethereal quori dies if its
body is destroyed. It instantly returns to
its body if dtspri magjtc (or a similar effect)
is successfully cast on the quoris body.

An ethereal quori spirit can attempt
to possess a human vessel as a standard
action. First, it must be adjacent to the
desired human vessel Second, the
human vessel must have the same align¬
ment as the quori and have a Charisma
score equal to or greater than the quori's
Charisma score. Finally, the human ves¬

sel must be willing to accept the quori
spirit and cannot be warded by a protec¬
tion from ml spell or similar effect.

A possessing quori spirit has
immediate access to all of the human
vessel's thoughts and memories, and
takes lull control of the body, the union
making what people of Eberron refer
to as “Inspired,"

Physical harm to the human vessel does
not harm the quori. Killing the human
vessel forces the quoris spirit back onto
the Ethereal Plane, where it can attempt
a new possession. Not even ethereal crea¬
tures can harm a possessing quori,

A quori spirit possessing a human
vessel grants the receptacle a +4 profane
bonus to Charisma, The human vessel
loses this profane bonus if the quori
spirit is banished or otherwise expelled
(by a dismissal spell, for example).

If a human vessel's Charisma score
ever drops below 13, the possessing quori
spirit is no longer able to inhabit the
human vessel and is immediately expelled
and thrust into an adjacent square,

A quori spirit retains its psi-like abili¬
ties and spell-like abilities while possess¬
ing a human vessel. However, it cannot
use any of its extraordinary or supernat¬
ural abilities. The quori spirit combines
its skill ranks with those of its human
vessel and either retains its mental abil¬
ity scores or adopts the mental ability
scores of the human vessel, whichever
are higher,

Vu Qfycm CTUl

Large Outsider (Evil, Extra planar, Law*
fill, Psionic, Quori)

Hit Dice: lQd8+50 (95 hp)

Initiative: +1

Speed: Fly 70 ft. (perfect) (14 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (+1 Dex, -1 size, -t-8
natural), touch 10, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +1Q/+21
Attack: Slam +16 melee (ld6+7)

Full Attack: 3 slams +16 melee (ld6+7)
Space/Reach: 10 ft,/10 ft.

Special Attacks: Aura of fur), burning rage,
constrict (ld6+10), improved grab, invade
dreams, possession, psi-like abilities
Special Qualities: All-around sight, dam¬
age reduction 10/good, greater teleport,
immunities, outsider traits, power resis¬
tance 21, resistance to acid 10, cold 10,

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darkness, telepathy
Saves: Fort +12, Ref +8, Will +11
Abilities: Str 24, Dex 13, Con 20 ? Int 15,
Wis 18, Cha 11

Skills: Autohypnosis +18, Bluff+15,
Concentration +15, Diplomacy +11,
Intimidate +19*, Knowledge (psionics)
+19, Knowledge (the planes) +15, Listen
+16, Move Silently +15, Psicraft +17,
Search +21*, Sense Motive +20, Spot
+20*, Survival +16 (+18 on other planes)
Feats: Ghost Attack, Power Penetration,
Psionic Fist, Track
Environment: Dal Quor
Organization: Solitary or pair
Challenge Rating: 8
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually lawful evd
Advancement: 11-20 HD [Large); 21-30
HD (Huge)

Level Adjustment: —

Tins creature is a whirlwind of eyes, untigs,
and shadow. Dozens of eyes study you as
die creature spins about in midair: human
eyes, insect eyes, and a luminescent dragon's
eye larger than your head, Its wings are an
equally unlikely assortment , and if is diffi¬

cult to see how they can possibly support its
weight, A layer of smoky shadows wreathes
the entire mass. Three dark tendrils reach
out for you, and you feel a wave of hatred
slam against your mind.

A du'Iora quori is a spirit of rage, capable
of driving mortals mad with its very pres¬
ence, As the guardian spirits of the quori,
the myriad eyes of du'Iora sentinels watch
the vaults of the Dreaming Dark, In times
of battle duloras fight in the vanguard,
watching dispassionately as their enemies
turn on one another to satisfy their blood-
lust, While a du'Iora feeds on the rage
of others, the fiends themselves are cold
and calculating. The typical du’Iora enjoys
tearing apart its opponents and burning
their souls with Barnes of pure anger, but
it remains a clever tactician and uses its
aura of madness to sow chaos and confu¬
sion among its enemies.

Where tile tsucoras constantly fight for
position within the ranks of Dal Quor,
du’loras serve the Dreaming Dark con¬
tentedly Battle defines the existence of a
du'Iora, and these fiends spend their lives
eagerly awaiting die next opportunity to

match wits with a cunning foe, Du'loras
often help the hashalaqs maintain order
in Dal Quor, providing physical power to
deal with traitors or troublemakers iden¬
tified by hashalaq inquisitors.

A maelstrom of eyes and wings sus¬
pended in a whirlwind of shadow, a
du'Iora appears insubstantial, but the
shadowstufTthat forms it is actually solid.
A du'Iora fights by grappling its enemies
with smoky tentacles formed from this
dark matter.

Du’loras speak Common. Infernal,
Quori, and Riedran.

(ttM -

Cunning tacticians, typical du'loras
use fury as a weapon. A common tac¬
tic among duloras puts them close to
speilcasters as soon as possible, where
their burning rage ability strips the spell-
casters of their ability to use magic or
sophisticated tactics. Once a spellcaster
has succumbed to burning rage, the
du'Iora turns its attention to others m the
group, id insinuation works particularly
well for causing dissension in the ranks,
forcing the enemies of the du'Iora to
fight one another.

A du’l ora's natural weapons are
considered evil-aligned and lawful-
aligned for the purpose of overcoming
damage reduction.

Aura of Fury (Su): The mere pres¬
ence of the du'Iora drives creatures
mad with rage. Any non-quori crea¬
ture within 30 feet of a du’Iora must
make a successful DC 15 Will save
or suffer the effects of the rage spell
and attack another creature of the
du’lora’s choosing within range. The
affected creature does all it can to kill
the target of its rage. As a move action,
the du'Iora can change the target of
an affected creature's rage. This effect
lasts for as long as the victim remains
within 30 feet of the du'Iora, A char¬
acter who successfully saves against
the effect must make a new ’Will save
at the beginning of every round he
remains within 30 feet of the quori, A
barbarian or other creature that can
enter a similar rage suffers a -2 pen¬
alty to resist this effect. A character
can make an Auto hypnosis check in
place of his Will save. This is a mind-

□RAGON 324 October 2004

affecting compulsion effect, and the
save DC is Charisma-based.

Burning Rage (Su): Once a du'lora has
established a hold, it can attempt to call
on the grappled victim's inner rage and
anger to trigger spontaneous combus¬
tion, After the du'lora inflicts constric¬
tion damage, its victim must make a DC
15 Will save. If the victim fails, it suffers
ld6 points of fire damage for every point
by which it failed the Will save. A bar¬
barian or other creature that can enter a
similar rage suffers a -2 penalty to resist
this effect. A character can make an
Autohypnosis check in place of die Will
save, Tliis is a mind-affecting effect, and
the save DC is Charisma-based.

If it slays a victim with this attack, the
du'lora immediately heals 3d6 points of
damage as it draws energy from the fury
of its dying victim.

Constrict (Ex): On a successful grap¬
ple check, a du'lora deals Id6+IG points
of damage.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this abil¬
ity, the du'lora must hit with its slam
attack. It can then attempt to start a grap¬
ple as a free action without provoking an
attack of opportunity. If it succeeds on a
grapple check, it can constrict*

Psi-Like Abilities: At will—Jar hand,
mmdlircfc; 3/day —id insinuation, iner¬
tial a mi or, psionic scent , trace teleport ;

1 /day —body adjustment , recall agony.
Manifester level 10th, The save DCs are
Charisma-based. When a du'lora uses id
imnuation, its victim adds 10% to the
roll made determine die victim's action
each round,

All-Around Vision (Ex): The many
eyes of a dtflora provide it with a +4
bonus on Spot and Search checks. A
du'lora cannot be flanked.

Skills: A du'lora receives a +2 racial
bonus on intimidate checks. It retains
this bonus while inhabiting a human or
Inspired vessel

Pi* Sw Vspicd

There are 90 Inspired with du'lora spir¬
its on Ebfrron. Most of these serve as
wardens and commanders among the
Thousand Eyes in Riedra* However,
the Dreaming Dark occasionally sends
du'loras to Khorvaire to provide raw
power to its operations* A typical du'lora

quori has 12 ranks of Autohypnosis,
Bluff, Concentration, Intimidate, Knowl¬
edge (psionics), listen, Move Silently,
Pslcraft Search. Sense Motive. Spot,
and Survival- and 10 ranks of Knowl¬
edge (the planes).

•llcsWwj Quo* CVvwkekO

Medium Outsider (Evil, Extraplanar,
Lawful, Psionic, Quori)

Hit Dice: 8d8+24 (60 bp)

Initiative: +3

Speed: 40 ft (S squares), fly 40 ft. (perfect)
Armor Class: 17 (+3 Dex, +4 natural),
touch 13, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +S/+10
Attack: Touch +10 melee (ld4+l Wis¬
dom damage plus brain lock)

Full Attack: Touch +10 melee (ld4+l
Wisdom damage plus brain lock)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.

Special Attacks: Euphoric touch, intimate
knowledge, possession, psi-like abilities
Special Qualities: Damage reduction
5/good, greater teleport, immunities,
outsider traits, power resistance 19,
resistance to acid 10, cold 10, and fire
10, see in darkness, telepathy, tongues
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +9. Will +10
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 16, Con 17, Int 20,
Wis 18, Cha 13

Skills: Autohypnosis +17 f Bluff+6, Con¬
centration +14, Diplomacy +13. Disguise
+12, Gather Information +9* Intimidate
+1, Knowledge (arcana) +16. Knowledge
(history) +10, Knowledge (local) +16,
Knowledge (nobility and royalty) +16 T
Knowledge (psionics) +18, Knowledge
(the planes) +16, Knowledge (religion)
+10, Listen +10, Psicraft +16, Sense
Motive +15, Spellcraft +13, Spot +10
Feats: Inquisitor, Negotiator, Persuasive
Environment: Dal Quor
Organization: Solitary or pair
Challenge Rating: 6
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually lawful evil
Advancement: 9-16 HD (Medium)

Level Adjustment: —

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features, and a dim blue light shines out
from under the hood. He seems to hover a
few inches off of the ground . As you look
more closely ; you realize that translucent.

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jtashy tendrils twined together form the
entire figure—robe and all

Hashalaqs serve as the loremasters of
Dal Quor. Even those hashalaq without
Inspired vessels devote a great deal
of time studying Es^rron and its sur¬
rounding planes. Unlike most quori
castes, they understand the ways of
magic as well as psionic power. In Dal
Quor, hashalaqs typically work as advi¬
sors to the higher pow¬
ers* They also

serve as inquisitors, polking the quori
and ensuring that the rivalries of the
tsucoras never threaten the greater plans
of the Dreaming Dark.

In its natural form, a hashalaq quori
is composed of hundreds of translucent
tendrils, similar to the tentacles of a
jellyfish. It can compress its tendrils
to form a wide range of shapes, from
a humanoid figure to a giant floating
hand. A point of blue light suspended
within the tendrils serves as its eyes
and ears; it can move this sense organ
around to suit its current shape.

Hashalaqs telepathically inherit the
languages of any creature they wish to
communicate with, speaking with per¬
fect fluency and accent.

(JmMr

Hashalaqs despise physical combat
and seek to use guile and treachery to
defeat opponents. If forced into battle,
a hashalaq uses its euphoric touch to
incapacitate weak-willed melee fighters,
saving its psi-like abilities for spellcast*
ers and other ranged combatants. If
in danger, a hashalaq teleports
away and attempts to use its
shapeshifting abilities to
monitor its foes' actions.
The hashalaq waits for
favorable conditions
before it strikes again.

A hashalaq quorf s
natural weapons are con¬
sidered evil-aligned and
lawful-aligned for the
purposes of overcom¬
ing damage reduc¬

tion, regardless of the quori's current
form.

Euphoric Touch (Su); The touch of a
hashalaq floods its victim with sensa¬
tions of joy and pleasure—feelings so
intense they can destroy the victim's
mind. Whenever a hashalaq makes a
successful melee touch attack, it deals
ld4+l points of Wisdom damage instead
of normal hit point damage. In addition,
the victim must succeed at a DC 15 Will
save or suffer the effects of brain lock for
Id4+1 rounds. If the victim's Wisdom
drops to 0, the victim suffers a cata¬
strophic cerebral overload and dies. This
is a mind-affecting effect, and the save
DC is Charisma-based.

When it slays a victim with this
attack, die hashalaq immediately heals
2d6 points of damage. A character killed
by a hashalaq in his dream suffers
ld4+l points of Wisdom damage when
he awakens, as well as the effects of a
nightmare spell.

Intimate Knowledge (Su): A hashalaq
quori has an intuitive awareness of the
emotions and thoughts of the creatures
in its vicinity. This continuous ability
functions as the empathy and detect hos¬
tile intent powers, but it affects a 60-foot
radius centered on the quori.

Asa free action, the hashalaq can
focus this power on a single individual.
The target may make a DC 15 Will save
to resist this effect. If the target fails its
save, the hashalaq gains a +2 insight
bonus to AC against attacks made by
the target and a +2 insight bonus on

bn*m

The brain lock power appears in the
Expanded Psionic Handbook. It has the fol¬
lowing description.

The subject's higher mind is locked
away. He stands dazed, unable to take any
psionic actions (including manifesting
powers or using psionic Feats that require
a decision to be used) nor any mental
actions at a 11. A brain locked subject is
not stunned, so attackers get no special
advantage against him.

A brain locked flyer must descend to
the closest safest level area below it. An
air-breathing swimmer must make for
the surface.

DRAGON 324 October 2004

attack and damage rolls made against
the target. The hashalaq does not have
to concentrate to maintain this effect,
but it loses its broader awareness when
concentrating on a single individual.

The intimate knowledge ability of the
hashalaq also provides it with a +2
insight bonus on Bluff Diplomacy,

Intimidate, and Sense Motive checks.

This is a mind-affecting ability.

The save DC is Charisma-based.

Pst-Like Abilities: At will —far
hand; 3/day —body adjustment ,
inertial armor , mind probe;

1/day— dream , hostile empathic
transfer, metamorphosis. Mani-
fester level 8th. Dream is as the
spell of the same name.

Skills: A hashalaq quori receives
a +10 bonus on Disguise checks when
it uses metamorphosisi

At present, Ebfrrqn has thirty-three
Inspired with hashalaq spirits. A typical
hashalaq quori has 11 ranks of Alito-
hypnosis, Concentration, Disguise,

Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (psion¬
ics), Knowledge (the planes), Psicraft,
and Sense Motive; 6 ranks of Diplomacy,

Gather Information, Listen, Spelkraff /

and Spot; and S ranks of Bluff Know!- j

edge (history), Knowledge (local). Knowl¬
edge (nobility), and Knowledge (religion).

Medium Outsider (Evil, Extraplanar,
Incorporeal, Lawful, Psionic, Quori)

Hit Dice: 18d8+76 (207 hp)

Initiative; +11

Speed: Fly 60 ft. (perfect) (12 squares)
Armor Class; 20 (+7 Dex, +3 deflection),
touch 20, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +18/+20
Attack: Incorporeal touch +25 melee
(soul binding) or swarm (soul binding)
Full Attack: 2 incorporeal touches +25
melee (soul binding) or swarm (soul
binding)

Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft (10 ft./O ft.)
Special Attacks; Invade dreams, night
terror, possession, psi-like abilities,
soul binding

Special Qualities: All-around vision,
damage reduction 15/good, greater
teleport, immunities, incorporeal traits.

outsider traits, power resistance 29,
resistance to acid 10, cold 10, and fire
10, see in darkness, spying eyes, swarm
of eyes, telepathy, true seeing
Saves: Fort +18. Ref+18. Will +16
Abilities: Str—, Dex 25, Con 24, [nt 15,
Wis 17, Cha 16

Skills: Autohypnosis +25, Bluff+13.
Concentration +27, Diplomacy +19,
Disguise +13 (+15 acting), Hide +17,
Intimidate+15, Knowledge (history)
+12, Knowledge (local) +12, Knowledge
(nature) +12, Knowledge (psionics) +14,
Knowledge (the planes) +12, Listen +13,
Move Silently +17, Perform (oratory)
+13, Psicraft +22, Search +16* f Sense
Motive +23, Spot +17*.

Feats: Combat Expertise, Empower Psi-
Like Ability (energy wave), Improved
Initiative, Iron Will Power Penetration,
Quicken Psi-like Ability (psionic blast).
Quicken Psi-like Ability (psychic crush)

Environment: Dal Quor
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 15
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually lawful evil
Advancement: 19-36 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: —

A humanoid figure formed of pure shadow
floats before you . A wimbas of light sur-
rounds if without illuminating the sur¬
rounding area; it only serves to the

absolute darkness of the being within, A host
of disembodied eyes ofall shapes and sizes
whirl around the featureless figure , These
eyes consta»if/y shift, appearing, disappear¬
ingfading aivay, and bursting like bubbles.

Kalaraqs are the princes of nightmare.
They guide the quori race. While
kalaraqs never fight one another overtly,
each has its own agenda; as a result, a

October 2004 DRAGON 324

kalaraq rarely leaves Dal Quor to inhabit
a mortal vessel

Brilliant, ruthless, and cruel,
kalaraqs are masters of manipulation,
capable of twisting the thoughts of
mortal and spirit alike, A kalaraq pos¬
sesses the power to consume and trap
souls, preserving their knowledge in its
essence. In battle, kalaraqs enjoy taunt¬
ing opponents with the words ofloved
ones and other friends the spirit has
devoured. An individual kalaraq might
have the knowledge of ancient kings,
great sages, or even dragons trapped
within its essence.

A kalaraq is a creature formed of
shadow, surrounded by a host of spectral
eyes. Like the hashalaqs, kalaraqs pos¬
sess a mutable form; while they gener¬
ally take on humanoid shapes, they can
adopt any simple shape of Medium size.
This has no impact on its ability scores
or combat abilities.

Kalaraqs communicate telepathically,
and can broadcast thoughts to any or all
creatures within 500 feet. Kalaraqs' pro¬
jected thoughts typically have a calming,
hypnotic quality. The telepathic abilities
of the spirit allow it to understand any
form of communication used by a crea¬
ture that has a language.

In its standard shape, a kalaraq can
form weapons or claws to make incor¬
poreal touch attacks that makes use
of its soul binding ability. These shad¬
owy attacks strike at the soul of the
victim, stripping away his life force
and his sanity. When facing a group
of enemies, a kalaraq either relies on
mergy wave or psicmic blast. After it
stuns its opponents, the kalaraq dis¬
perses into a swirling vortex of eyes
and shadow, engulfing its enemies
and devouring their minds. Against
powerful individual opponents—espe¬
cially other outsiders—the kalaraq
relies instead on focused attacks, such
as ego whip to strip away spellcasting
abilities, followed by insanity mind
thrust, and psychic crush . As most of
the kalaraq's psi-like abilities allow
Will saves, it usually softens up its
enemy with its soul binding touch
before using its powers.

A kalaraq's natural weapons are
considered evil-aligned and lawful
aligned for the purpose of overcoming
damage reduction.

Night Terrors (Su): A kalaraq quori
can split off aspects of itself and send
these dark eyes to prowl Dal Quor in
search of mortal spirits. This allows the
kalaraq to use nightmare three times per
night as the spell cast by an 18th-level
sorcerer (DC 22 Will save negates).

The kalaraq does not have to enter a
trance. Victims who fail their initial sav¬
ing throws must immediately make an
additional DC 22 Will save. Any victim
who fails this additional Will save takes
ld4 points of ability' damage to its Intel¬
ligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores.
This is a mind-affecting effect, and the
save DCs are Charisma-based,

Psi-Like Abilities: At will—dispd
psionics, ego whip,far hand , inertial
armor, ma55 cloud mind, mincllink, mind
thrust , psionit blast, psicmic chaim;

3/day —energy wave , insanity, psychic
crush; l/day—focused mind seed, personal
mind blank. Manifester level 18th. The
save DCs are Charisma-based.

Soul Binding (Su): The incorporeal
touch of a kalaraq tears at its victim's
mind and soul. Its incorporeal touch
deals ldG points of cold damage and
ld4+l points of Wisdom damage. This
damage bypasses all forms of damage
reduction. In addition, the victim must
succeed at a DC 22 Will save or be con¬
fused as the confusion spell cast by an
ISth-level caster.

If a kalaraq reduces its opponent's
Wisdom to 0, it binds the soul of its
victim to one of its many eyes. This kills
die victim instantly. Even a dreaming
character dies if reduced to Wisdom of
0 from this attack. The kalaraq gains
access to all of the memories of the vic¬
tim (although it does not gain any actual
skill ranks or class levels) and gains a
+10 insight bonus on Disguise checks
made to impersonate the victim. A vic¬
tim who dies to this ability cannot return
to life through any means short of a wish
or miracle spell until the kalaraq dies. A
dead kalaraq automatically releases all
die souls it hi nded.

All-Around Vision (Ex): The many
eyes of the kalaraq provide it with a +4

bonus on Spot and Search checks, A
kalaraq cannot be flanked.

Spying Eyes (Ex): A kalaraq can send
its many eyes to scout and spy at a
distance. This grants it the same effect
as die greater prying eyes spell with an
unlimited duration, but the kalaraq can
only use 20 spying eyes per day. These
eyes fully regenerate after 24 hours.

Swarm of Eyes (Su): A kalaraq can
disperse its physical form into a swarm
of eyes. This transformation takes a
standard action that does not provoke an
a ttack of opportunity. While in swarm
fonn, a kalaraq becomes a size Large
swarm composed of Fine creatures. Phys¬
ical attacks, including ghost touch weap¬
ons, cannot harm it, although a weapon
that deals energy damage (flaming, frost)
can still deal that damage on a successful
hit. A kalaraq in swarm form uses its soul
binding ability on any creature that occu¬
pies its space at the end of its move. Any
creature that begins its turn in the same
space as the swarm must succeed at a DC
26 Fort save or suffer 1 round of nausea.
The kalaraq swarm Form has all of the
abilities and vulnerabilities common to
all swarms, as described on page 237 of
the Monster Manual.

True Seeing (Su): The many eyes of a
kalaraq provide it *vith the benefit of a
continuous smug spell, with a range
of 120 feet.

At the time of the kalashtar exodus,
only 12 kalaraq-possessed Inspired
lived on Eberrgn. While possible
that new kalaraqs have arisen over
the last few millennia, few of these
spirits exist and each has duties and
schemes to attend to in Dal Quor.
Every kalaraq has an Inspired vessel
awaiting its use, but a kalaraq only
manifests on Ebefron under the most
dire circumstances.

A typical kalaraq quori has 20 ranks of
Autohypnosis, Concentration, Psicraft,
and Sense Motive; 10 ranks in Bluff,
Diplomacy, Disguise, Hide, Intimidate,
Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (his¬
tory), Knowledge (local), Knowledge
(nature), Knowledge (psionics), Knowl¬
edge (die planes). Listen, Move Silently,
Perform (oratory). Search, and Spot. 2

DRAGON 324 October 2004

RESENTS ITS NEW SUPPLEMENT FOR

[CONFRONTATION: FORTIFICATION.

LIKE ALL OF RACKHAM’S SUPPLEMENTS
THE RULE BOOKLET COMES FREE IN
EVERY SET.

FORTIFICATION EXPLAINS HOWTO
POUND YOUR ENEMIES INTO THE
GROUND WITH THE HELP
OF WAR MACHINES.

rww.rackham.fr

RACKHAM'

s. Wp - >

| ture&evgke
/ such terror
in mortals as crea¬
tures from beyond I lie
grave. For centuries, the liv¬
ing have fought armies of the undead *

with fire, steel, blood, and fault. Vet for some
this endless bailie has become more a way of life than a holy crusade. Threatened wi
unnatural powers, wary undead hunters use a variety of tools to aid them in then
enemies that have long since lost their own. While not every
of utuiead turning- clever hunters know that magic is mere
and methods to confront the living dead. Potent weapons in
mean the difference between living and spending eternity as merely another si

by (Robert 3- 2|flbn ♦ illustrateD by janBrem C)ou

i IK a host of 1 i le^a rid sou I -slea Mug ^

personal wars a ml protect themTmgile lives against
ndead hunter has the benefit of a eT holuuyjrimmmtT or^pUylactery
>|y one weapon in their arsenal, and thus, theydeve loped many other tools
the hands of a skilled user know led goal tie about his prey, these Items can
;hambling corpse.

&looD Ibicfeener

This alchemical substance causes a
character's blood to thicken so it moves
slower within the body. When ingested,
blood thickener causes the character to
become slightly sluggish, imposing a -2
penalty to his Dexterity score for 12 hours,
but it provides a +2 alchemical bonus to
Constitution for that time. Additionally, a
dying character (one reduced to between
-1 and -9 hit points} loses 1 hit point every
2 rounds instead of every round.

A DC 25 Craft (alchemy) check is
required to create blood thickener.

(Boob of J&rapera

A book of pr ayers is an ornately illus¬
trated tome, consecrated to a specific
god. With book in hand, a character who
worships the same deity as the one the
book is devoted to can take a full round
action to pray, chanting scriptures from
the book of prayers. The character read¬
ing aloud from the text may make a
DC 10 Charisma check to aid a cleric of
the book's deity in her attempt to turn

undead. If successful, the praying char¬
acter provides the deric a +2 bonus on
her turning check. A deric can only be
aided by one other character using a book
of prayers. If a character attempts to use
a book of prayers and is not a member
of the faith to which the book is conse¬
crated, his attempts to use it always fail.

Creating a book of prayers requires 1
rank of Knowledge (religion) and a DC
20 Craft (writing) check,

Sjalpor fcjnbolp ffanDit

The wax of this alchemkally treated
candle is infused with spiritual
incenses and soaked in holy or unholy
water for three nights before it is used
to create a candle. Holy candles shed a
pure yellow-white illumination, while
unholy candles cast a flickering, deep
purple glow'. Each radiates light in a 5*
foot radius and burns for 1 hour.

Clerics standing within the illumina¬
tion of a holy candle gain a +2 bonus
on their turning check results when
attempting to turn or rebuke undead.

Clerics who stand in the light of an
unholy candle gain a +2 bonus on their
turning check results when commanding
or rebuking undead, A deric can only be
aided by one burning candle at a time.

Creating a holy or unholy candle
requires 1 rank of Knowledge (religion)
and a DC 25 Craft (alchemy) check,

2)olp UJafers

Holy wafers refer to any food specifi¬
cally created and sanctified for use
in a religious ceremony. Commonly
in the form of small, stylized bread
wafers impressed with religious
images, holy wafers have few uses
outside of sacred rituals. However,
these unassuming wafers are also
one of the most effective methods
of dispatching vampires. Destroying
a vampire's body is often difficult
without access to powerful spells like
disintegration , and even staking the
creature and burning it might prove
dangerous if the stake burns first. Yet
filling a vampire's mouth with holy

DRAGON 324 Octaber 2004

wafers and cutting off its head is a
relatively simple feat and effectively
prevents it from returning to undeath.
Divine spells that create food, such
as goodfrerry, can also be used to the
same effect as holy wafers.

Holy wafers can be purchased at
most temples or shrines,

jnummpjflitee

These ant-sized insects voraciously feed
on dead flesh. No one knows whether
these ravenous vermin are natural
creatures or magically manipulated
creations, but regardless, they make
formidable weapons against all kinds of
corporeal undead. Mummy mites are
often stored in glass flasks as tiny gray
inert eggs. These flasks are treated as
thrown splash weapons.

Upon hitting a target a flask of
mummy mites breaks, spilling eggs
over a 5-foot square. These eggs do
not react to living creatures, but if
they land within 5 feet of dead flesh,
they immediately hatch and attack on
the next round. Active mummy mites
prey upon necrotic flesh, regardless
of whether it's moving, and attack
any corpse or corporeal undead crea-
ture nearby. Once they find a body to
attack, they feast on it to the exclusion
of all other food sources for 1 min¬
ute, after which they die. Although
mummy mites do not attack living
creatures, those who occupy the same
space as a mummy mite swarm are
distracted as normal.

Mummy Mites: CR 1; Fine vermin
(swarm); HD 2d8; hp 9; Init -+4; Spd 20
ft.: AC 22, touch 22, flat-footed 18; Base
Atk +1; Grp —; Atk/Full Atk swarm
(ld6); Space/ Reach 10 ft,/—; SA distrac¬
tion; SQ darkvision 60 ft, immune to
weapon damage, swarm traits, vermin
traits; AL N; SV Fort +3, Ref+4, Will +0;
Str 1, Dex 18, Con 10, Int—, Wis 10,

Cha 1.

Skills and Feats: listen +4. Spot +4.

Distraction (Ex): Any living creature
that begins its turn in the same space as a
mummy mite swarm must succeed on a
DC 11 Fortitude save or be nauseated for 1
round. The save DC is Constitution-based.

SfcrWs; A mummy mite swarm has a +4
racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks.

j&ortablE j&prt

A good undead hunter takes advantage
of the absolute stupidity of mindless
undead. A portable pyre is essentially a
bundle of oil-soaked logs and tindertwigs
bound together. When untied and quickly
rolled out over an empty 5-foot square, a
standard action that provokes attacks of
opportunity, the tindertwigs immediately
ignite the highly flammable kindling, A
portable pyre can also be unrolled more
carefully so it does not ignite, an act that
takes a full-round action that provokes
attacks of opportunity. Once laid out in
this manner, the roll ignites if exposed to
fire. Creatures that enter the same square
as a lit portable pyre suffer ld6 points of
fire damage for each round they remain
in the square, A portable pyre bums for
10 minutes, although 10 gallons of water
extinguish the flames. It cannot be used
again after being unrolled. Portable pyres
cannot be wielded as weapons and are
only effective when laid upon a flat sur¬
face, making them particularly useful in
small hallways or when placed in the path
of turned undead.

Creating a portable pyre requires a DC
15 Craft (alchemy) check.

(firm tHiiDtaB*

[ fipntmg jfquipmenr

1 Item

Cost

Weight

: Blood Thickener

«gp

1 lb.

Book of Prayers

50 gp

3 lb

[ Holy or Unholy Candle

? 5 gp

—

Holy Wafers (10}

2 sp

—

t Mummy Mites

75 gp

1 lb.

Portable Pyre

10 gp

IS lb. i

Reinforced Sheath

10 gp

2 lb i

- _

iReinfoml) 5>heatb

A reinforced sheath turns a bladed
slashing or piercing weapon into a
bludgeoning weapon. To accomplish
this, the blade remains in the rein¬
forced sheath, imposing a -2 penalty
on all attack rolls made with the now
top-heavy weapon. Originally developed
for swords, reinforced sheaths can
be specially made for practically any
slashing or piercing weapons. Attacks
made with magic weapons do not
convey their properties through a rein¬
forced sheath, although masterwork
reinforced sheaths can be created and
enhanced separately.

Creating a reinforced sheath requires a
DC 25 Craft (weaponsrrtithing) check. £2

lPtticr tbtetfiil fctu&rak
(fighting f&tar

The Player's Handbook present % many excel
lent items perfect (of fighting imtkwl Canny
adventures preparing to hunt the living dead
might benefit from the following; equipment
iintf suggestions.

Animals with Scent; Many animals have
senses of smell far beyond those of normal
characters, An appropriately trained beyi r cal,
dog, or even horse could detect the presence of
rotting flesh under even the most unfavorable
circumstances. Besides theii ability to warn
their masters of I tie approach of many kinds ol
undead, many animals also make potent allies
jn a battle.

Cleric's Vestments: Marty intelligent undead
recognize and are rightly fearful of clerics and
priests. Just wearing the holy vestments of a
particular.faith might be enough to prevent
an attack by waiy undead However, lor all the
undead that fear denes, just as many single out
such characters to dispatch first

Fire: Although many undead have
significant defenses and resistances against
specific types of energy, most remain
vulnerable to fire Whether it comes from
oil, torches, or fire based spells without
instantaneous effects {such as a rurd/ of fife) r
unintelligent undead don't react to put out
flames consuming them and can easily be

dispatched by lighting them afire and leaving
them tu bum

Holy Water: Rightfully so, intelligent
undead fear and avoid few other items as
much as holy wutei

Minors: MirroTS have a wide variety of uses,
but they are particularly useful when facing
vampires Mirrors can keep them at bay as
effectively as a strongly presented holy symbol

Ranged and Reach Weapons: Keeping
undead at a distance is sound advice for even
the must powerful undent I hunter, as rs always
having a weapon that allows you to damage
yo u r q u a r ry wit hot 1 1 gel t ing l lose Mind less
undead do not consider strategy when they
battle and often make themselves vulnerable
to attacks of opportunity from reach weapons.
Many undead are ponderous creatures urid
have no defense against characters with ranged
weapons or who use hit and run tact ics

Rotted Meat: Leaving rotted meat in an area
can attract all manner of ravenous undead,
primarily ghouls and ghasts. Since mosi
utidead are too stupid or hungry to care where
their meal comes from, strategically placed
food can bait all manner of ambushes.

Tripping Weapons: Guisarmcs, halberds,
spiked chains, and similar weapons that can
make trip attacks are especially useful against
the undead. As zombies can only take a single
action in a round, tripping them might be an
effective defense.

October 2004 DRAGON 324

by Yuiy Pavlotslcy
illustrated by Noi Sackda

ICY £N£Ml£y
FROM ARCTIC
PNVlRONT

W inter holds many lands in an icy
grip. With its chilling breath and
crushing avalanches, its fury can
sweep away whole towns and freeze
the souls of even the most determined
travelers. Among the numerous
creatures that make their homes in
these arctic regions, no beings inspire
more dread than those that refuse to
live at the whim of winter’s wrath, but
rather embody it.

Spawned of harsh mountains of
ice and snow, these arctic terrors chill
even the most heroic souls. From the
winterling's frosty malevolence and

DRAGON 324 October 2004

the living avalanche that is the black
ice golem, to the undead steaming
soldiers and icy prisoners, these
creatures add further menace to an
already deadly environment.

Cold regions can be remarkably
diverse places, ranging from tundra and
snow-capped mountains to icy lakes
and streams. These monsters likewise
inhabit a variety of cold environments,
and could be found in nearly any frozen
area of a campaign world.

RACK ice «tOL£m

Huge Construct (Cold)

Hit Dice: 22dl0+40 (161 hp)

Initiative: -1

Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)

Armor Class: 25 (-2 size, -1 Dex, +18
natural), touch 7, fiat-footed 25
Base Attack/Grapple: +16/+33
Attack: Slam +23 melee (ld8+9 plus
ldb cold plus energy drain)

Full Attack: 2 slams +23 melee (ld8+9
plus ld6 cold plus energy drain)
Space/Reach: 15 ft/15 ft.

Special Attacks: Cold, cold aura, energy
drain, ke shards

Special Qualities: Construct traits,
damage reduction 10/bludgeoning
and good, darkvision 60 ft,, ice walking,
immunity to cold and magic, low'-light
vision, vulnerability to fire
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +6 t Will +7
Abilities: Str 28, Dex 8. Con —, Int —,
Wisll.Cha 1
Environment: Any cold
Organization: Solitary or gang (2-4)
Challenge Rating: 14
Treasure: None

Alignment: Always neutral evil
Advancement: 23-42 (Huge)

Level Adjustment: —

looming over you is a form like a
midnight glacier: giant, black, and
ominous , Crudely shaped into a
humanoid form , the un wrought stabs
that make up its body glisten with the
peculiar sheen of frozen blood and , deep
rntfiin, seem to bubble with a profane,
unnatural life.

Black ice golems are foul creations,
clumsily sculpted from ice exposed to

negative energy and great blocks of frozen
blood. The resulting creature stands over
20 feet tall, weighs nearly 3,000 pounds, ’
and stains the snow wherever it steps
with great, bloody footprints,

A black ice golertfs body is coarse
and only vaguely humanoid, merely a
pile of glistening icy black slabs that
at times seem unconnected from each
other and emanate an aura of bitter,
unnatural cold. The golem's only
notable features are its eyes, two points
of sanguine liquid within the ice of its
smooth, flat face.

COMBAT

The black ice golem is a mindless
creature that obeys its creator's
commands to the best of its ability,
it can dole out tremendous amounts
of damage in melee combat with its
fists, piercing ice shards, and cold
aura. These abilities make the black
ice golem a dangerous if unsubtle
combatant, and often the mere sight
of this walking mountain is enough
to instill fear into all but the most
stalwart opponents.

Cold (Ex): A black ice golem's
body generates intense cold, causing
opponents to take an extra ld6 points
of cold damage every time the creature
succeeds on a slam attack. Creatures
attacking a black ice golem unarmed
or with natural weapons take this same
cold damage each time one of their
attacks hits.

Cold Aura (Ex): Anyone within 20
feet of a black ice golem must succeed
at a DC 21 Fortitude save or take 2d6
points of cold damage per round
from the intense cold. The save DC is
Constitution based.

Energy Drain (Su): Living creatures
hit by a black ice golem's slam attack
gain one negative level. The DC is
16 for the Fortitude save to remove
a negative level. The save DC is
Charisma-based. For each such
negative level bestowed, the black ice
golem gains 5 temporary hit points.

Ice Shards (Su): As a free action
once every ld4+l rounds, a black ice
golem can generate a spray of deadly
ice shards from its body, dealing 2d6
points of piercing damage and ld6

points of cold damage to al l creatures
within 10 feet, and blinding them foT
ld4 rounds. Creatures that succeed
on a DC 21 Reflex save take only half
damage and are not blinded. The save
DC is Constitution-based,

ke Walking (Ex): This ability works
like the spider climb spell but the
surface the black ice golem climbs
must be icy.

Immunity to Magic (Ex): A black
ice golem is immune to any spell
or spell-like ability that allows spell
resistance. In addition, certain spells
and effects function differently against
the creature.

Fire spells and effects affect the
golem normally, even if they permit
spell resistance (and note the golem's
vulnerability to fire).

A magical attack that deals cold
damage heals the ice golem for 1 point
of damage for every 3 points of damage
the attack would otherwise deal. If the
amount of healing would cause the
golem to exceed its full normal hit
points, it gains any excess as temporary
hit points.

CorvrrRLfCriofv

A black ice golemfs body is made from
huge blocks of ice and frozen blood
infused with negative energy. The
materials must weigh at least 5,000
pounds, and 20 HD worth of creatures
must be sacrificed and their blood
used in its creation. The ceremonial
sacrifices and corrupt empowering
of the ice requires 15,000 gp worth of
rare ingredients. Assembling the body
requires a DC 15 Craft (sculpting) check.

CL 16th; Craft Construct {see page
303 of the Monster Manual), cone of
cole f eneravation, wall of ice, caster must
be at least 16th level; Price 190,000 gp;
Cost 100,000 gp + 7,600 XP.

icy pRiyONPR

Medium Undead (Cold)

Hit Dice: 7dl2 (45 hp)

Initiative: +6

Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), burrow 30 ft,,
swim 30 ft.

Armor Class: 19 (+2 Dex, +7 natural),
touch 12, flat-footed 17

October 2004 DRAGON 324

Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+11
Attack: Claw +7 melee (idG+4 plus IdG
cold plus frostbite)

Full Attack: 2 daws +7 melee (IdG+4 plus
IdG cold plus frostbite) and bite +2 melee
[ld4+2 plus IdG cold plus frostbite)

Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft

Special Attacks: Cold, create spawn,

frostbite, improved grab

Special Qualities: Darkvision GO ft.,

immunity to cold, undead traits,

vulnerability to fire

Saves: Fort +2, Ref+6, Will +6

Abilities: Str IS, Dex, 14, Con —, Int 10,

Wisl3, Cha 15

Skills: Balance +12, Hide +12, Listen +6,
Move Silently +12. Spot +6
Feats: Improved Initiative, Lightning
Reflexes, Power Attack
Environment Cold aquatic
Organization: Solitary or pack (2—9)
Challenge Rating: S
Treasure: None

Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 8-10 HD (Medium)

Level Adjustment —

Erupting in an explosion of ke and snow,
a slick, frostbitten body bursts from the
frozen waters below . It glares at you with
cold eyes and hefrs its ice-encrusted corpse
in your direction.

Icy prisoners are undead creatures
created from the bodies of those
drowned in icy lakes, ponds, or streams.
These creatures spend most of their
existences morbidly bobbing below
the ice of their watery tombs, waiting
to ambush and drown passersby who
come too near.

Icy prisoners appear as grotesque,
humanoid forms entombed in ice-
covered bodies of water. The dead,
frostbitten skin of these horrors lies
pallid beneath the useless tatters of their
remaining winter clothing. From a face
sickly discolored by extreme cold, an icy
prisoner's eyes glow with a pale, watery
blue illumination, and their lingering hair
hangs down frozen to their sallow faces,

COM&AT

An icy prisoner lies in wait until it sees
a target, then pounds on the ice above
it in mock-death throes, hoping to draw

the target closer to investigate. It then
bursts through die ice and attempts
to grapple die unfortunate soul. If
successful, the icy prisoner tries to pull
the victim into the freezing water and
holds him until he drowns.

An icy prisoner can burrow only
through ice and snow.

Cold (Ex): An icy prisoner generates
intense cold, causing opponents to take
an extra IdG points of cold damage
every time the creature succeeds on
a slam attack. Creatures attacking an
icy prisoner unarmed or with natural
weapons take this same cold damage
each time one of their attacks hits.

Create Spawn (Su): Any humanoid
drowned by an icy prisoner becomes
an icy prisoner in ld4 rounds. Spawn
are not under the control of the icy
prisoner that created them. They do
not possess any of the abilities they
had in life.

Frostbite (Ex): A creature that
sustains cold damage from an icy
prisoner's melee attacks must make
a DC 15 Fortitude save or become
frostbitten. Creatures suffering from
frostbite are fatigued (cannot run or
charge, suffer a -2 penalty to Strength
and Dexterity). These penalties end
when the cold damage is healed. The
save DC is Charisma-based.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this
ability, an icy prisoner must hit a
creature of its size or smaller with its
slam attack. It can then attempt to
start a grapple as a free action without
provoking an attack of opportunity

Medium Undead (Cold)

Hit Dice: 4dl2+3 (29 hp)

Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)

Armor Class: 17 (+2 Dex, +5 natural),
touch 12, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+S
Attack: Claw +5 melee (ld4+3 plus IdG
cold plus paralysis)

Full Attack: 2 claws +5 melee (ld4+3
plus IdG cold plus paralysis)

Space/Reach: 5 ft,/5 ft.

Special Attacks: Cold, create spawn.

drain heat, paralysis
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft.,
immunity to cold, steam cloud, undead
traits, vulnerability to fire
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +6
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 15, Con —■, Int 11,
Wis 14, Cha 16

Skills: Hide +9, Listen +9, Move
Silently +9. Spot +9
Feats: Combat Reflexes. Toughness
Environment: Any cold
Organization: Solitary, gang (2-5), or
pack (6-11)

Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: None

Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 5-8 HD (Medium)

Level Adjustment: —

A gkostfy shape appears through the
dense fog, awkwardly ambling in your
direction. As ft nears, you can see that
ft is a shambling humanoid body,
riddled with wicked lesions . These gory
wounds perpetually steam the fog that
surrounds you.

Steaming soldiers are undead
born of battles on frigid tundra
and unforgiving ice fields. These
monstrosities arise when wounded
warriors are left to die on the
battlefield, and the icy landscape
drains their warmth. Their name
comes from their open wounds
that fill the areas around them
with clouds of steam. These
creatures seek the natural warmth
drained from them in death, and
they terrorize travelers and small
settlements in cold areas.

Steaming soldiers are difficult
to see due to the roiling mists that
surround them, and they are usually
only glimpsed as indistinct shapes in
the fog. Behind their grim veil of fog,
they are horrible creatures to behold,
their undead nature evident from
their deathly blue skin, luminous red
eyes, and great gaping wounds that
seep billowing clouds of steam,

COMBAT

Steaming soldiers prefer to attack from
surprise, using their ever-present mists
for concealment. They dose to melee as

DRAGON 324 October 2004

quickly as possible in order to daw
and paralyze foes. Once a target is
paralyzed, steaming soldiers use their
drain heat ability to finish off the target
and create a new steaming soldier.

Cold (Ex) i A steaming soldier
generates intense cold, causing
opponents to take an extra ld6 points
of cold damage every time the creature
succeeds on a slam attack* Creatures
attacking a steaming soldier unarmed
or with natural weapons take this same
cold damage each time one of their
attacks hits.

Create Spawn (Su): Any humanoid
slain by a steaming soldier becomes
a steaming soldier in ld4 rounds.
Spawn are under the command of the
steaming soldier that created them and
remain enslaved until its destruction*
They do not possess any of the abilities
they had in life*

Drab Heat (Su): A steaming
soldier can drain the heat from a
victim by pulling it into a horrific
kiss. A steaming soldier that makes a
successful grapple check and pins its
foe drains heat* The victim suffers ld4
points of Constitution damage each
round the pin is maintained*

Paralysis (Ex): Creatures that
suffer cold damage from a steaming
soldier's melee attacks must make a
DC 15 Fortitude save or be covered
in a skin of frost that paralyzes them
for ld4+l rounds. The save DC is
Charisma-based.

Steam Cloud (Su): A steaming
soldier is always surrounded by
a billowing cloud of mist that
functions as the spell fog cloud,
except that it always remains
centered on the steaming soldier*
Steaming soldiers can see through
this mist and natural fog, suffering
no miss chance. Magic fog affects
visibility for them as normal.

WlNTPRUN^r

Small Fey (Cold)

Hit Dice: 7d6 (24 hp)

Initiative: +8

Speed: 20 ft* (4 squares), fly 30 ft. (good)
Armor Class: 18 (+! size, +4 Dex, +3
natural), touch 15, flat-footed 14

October 2004 DRAGON 324

Base Attack/Grapple: +3/2
Attack: Short sword +8 melee (Idd—1}
or longbow +8 ranged (Id6-l/x3)

Full Attack: Short sword +8 melee (ld4—
1) or longbow +8 ranged (Id6-l/x3)
Space/Reach: 5 ft,/S ft.

Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Damage reduction
10/cold iron, immunity to cold,
low-light vision, spell resistance 18,
vulnerability to fire
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +9, Will +6
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 18, Con 11, Int 12,
Wis 13, Cha 17

Skills: Bluff+13, Escape Artist +9,

Hide +18*, Knowledge (nature) +11,
Listen +11, Move Silently +14, Spot
+11, Tumble +9

Feats: Dodge, Improved Initiative,
Weapon Finesse

Environment: Cold hills and mountains
Organization: Solitary, gang (2-5), or
band (6 15)

Challenge Rating; 5
Treasure: No coins, 50% goods,

50% items

Alignment: Always neutral evil
Advancement: 8-10 HD (Small)

Level Adjustment: +5

A swiftly moving, stark white creature
darts and wheels nearby. Unnaturally
the small humanoid has severe
features with radically slanted purple
eyes and a manic smile. The creature
flits about wildly on what look to be a
pair of butterfly wings sprouting from
its back, frozen and shattered into
sharp, jagged points.

Winterlings are malicious fey that live
high in snowy mountains and hills.
With cruel senses of humor, they play
deadly pranks on groups of mountain
travelers, causing avalanches,
landslides, cave-ins, and the like* Such
acts often make them the real culprits
behind local legends of haunted
mountain passes. Winterlings also
enjoy pulling smaller pranks on
solitary travelers, like putting out their
campfires or shaking tree branches to
dump snow on top of them,
Winterlings stand roughly 2-1/2
feet tall. They look like white-skinned,
white-haired elves with sharp.

PLOT HOOKS

Whether threatening arctic lands on their own or patticipating in some larger plot, the creatures
presented in this article can be used In a wide variety of ways. Following are several suggestions
and possibilities for adventures incorporating these frozen monstrosities into your campaign.

Black Ice Golems

A local fisherman finds a strange sculpture of black ice. Fearful, the fisherman keeps his
distance and heads back to town to inform the local constable* who in turn sends the PCs to
investigate the situation. Unfortunately, when the PCs arrive, they find nothing but a trail of
craterous bloody footprints. It turns out that the crude statue ■$ in feet a black ice golem that
begins rampaging through the area.

The local forces are woefully unprepared for the situation, as nothing seems to even slow
the rampaging titan. The constable entreats the PCs for their aid, but can they derail 3*000
pounds of black ice before it destroys everything- 1 The key to doing so might be revealing the
golem s master and the reason for the creature's construction,

Icy Prisoners

The region's annual midwinter festival culminates in a large ice skating contest held on a
nearby pond. However* this year a terrible secret threatens disaster: An icy prisoner lurks
beneath the placid-seeming ice

The icy prisoner was a traveier who. while passing th rough the area, was murdered by one
of the town's Inhabitants—a serial killer The killer hides hrs deeds by throwing the bodies of
his victims into the pond, but at feast one victim was transformed into an icy prisoner
After one of the locals goes missing, the PCs are hired to Investigate these mysterious
disappearances. Can they trace the bodies to the kifier and reveal his crimes before more
vengeful icy prisoners arise?

Steaming Soldiers

Steaming soldiers normally launch uncoordinated attacks against small groups and villages
m cold areas. However, something recently has been amassing the creatures in numbers
large enough to threaten the entire countryside. The huge gathering of steaming soldiers has
literally put a pall on the regional capital, as enormous clouds of fog obscure everything in
sight The townsfolk are sick with fright and an attack could come at any moment

What is the force behind this strange coalition? Can the PCs find what holds the undead
army together and destroy it before the capital is overwhelmed?

Winterlings

Although evil, winterlings are part of the natural world and frequently join forces with druids in
arctic areas. While such alliances sometimes form to combat a natural threat, sheer hatred of
civilized folk and the encroachment of civilization upon the natural world is most often the reason.

A village built at the foot ofa mountain has heard uneasy rumblings from the slopes of late.
Travelers frequently disappear, avalanches become all too common, and the mountain threatens
to bury the entire village. Divinations have revealed that the forces of nature seem angry. This
anger stems from the arrival of a group of fire cultists inhabiting the core of the mountain—
actually an extinct volcano—who are attempting to reactivate it. The PCs must journey to find a
local druid who lives among a tribe of winterlings to learn about and stop this plot.

exaggerated features and gossamer
wings. Their eyes tend toward light
blues and violets with hair the shades
of ice and snow. Reveling in the
most wickedly cold weather as the
fey of more temperate lands do in
spring, winterlings have little need
for clothing* but many wear a few icy
bangles as ornamentation. Winterlings
speak Elven and Sylvan, with some
knowing additional tongues,

COMfcAT

Upon encountering other creatures,
a winterling uses its ranged weapons

and spell4ike abilities to harass
them* If their victims react violently*
it flees, only to attack targets later,

Spell-Like Abilities: 3/day— chill
metal (DC 15 ), fog cloud, gust of wind
(DC 15), quench (DC 16), sleet storm ,
warp wood (DC 15): 1/day— ice storm
(DC 17): Caster level 8th. The save
DCs are Charisma-based.

Skills: "In frigid areas of snow
and ice a wlnterling's Hide bonus
increases to +26. ^

DRAGON 324 October 2004

In RUNEBOUND, you
and your friends play
heroes in a fantasy
realm full of monsters,
perils, and treasure.

The world is your to explore as you wish:
Visit the Mountains of Despair, brave the
Whispering Forest, or shop for magic items
in the Great Taramir Bazaar. Wherever you
go, adventure awaits you and because the
game changes each time you play it, you'll
never have the same adventure twice.

fk nother day, another graveyard;

A many necromancers hmit their use
' of the animate dead spell to that
dreary philosophy. Humanoid zom¬
bies and skeletons march next to the
occasional undead steed, while more
dangerous creatures await creation
by spells like create undead and create
greater undead. Fortunately for practi¬
tioners of lire black arts — and unfor¬
tunately for everyone dse“—powertul
xindead await only a creative necroman¬
cer to unleash them upon the world!

The best way to create a better
walking corpse, after all, is to find a
better corpse.

Finding the right creature to animate as
a zombie presents two difficulties. First
and foremost, zombies make only a
single attack per round. Secondly, creat¬
ing a zombie doubles the base creature's
Hit Dice, halving the number of control¬
lable undead created by the spell. Nor¬
mally skeletons serve a necromancer
better than zombies, although when he
needs a flying monster or simply desires
tougher servants, the necromancer often
turns to zombies.

Big creatures with relatively few
Hit Dice make the best zombies. A
zombie's reach, damage, and natural
armor ail scale up with its size. Since
zombies can only make one attack
each round, you need either a signifi¬
cant number of weak zombies or a few
big zombies to be most effective.

The only other significant abilities that
a zombie transfers from the base crea¬
ture are speeds, natural armor. Strength,
and Dexterity. Zombies created from
creatures with a burrow, climb, fly or
swim speed can use those movement
types, and a high speed helps compen¬
sate for a zombie's inability to run.

One last thing to look for in a zom¬
bie is a base creature with only one
natural attack. Such creatures add
1-1/2 times their Strength bonus on
damage rolls, just like a character with
a two handed weapon. Zombies can
only make a single attack each round
anyway, so make the most of it!

mpmrra

Some creatures don't make good zom¬
bies but can work quite well as skel¬
etons. Skeletons offer great optimization
potential, especially compared to zom¬
bies. A necromancer may animate twice
his caster level in Hit Dice of skeletons
per casting of the animate dead spell
and he can control up to four times his
caster level. Skeletons can get multiple
attacks each round, and they even use
ranged attacks effectively.

As with zombies, bigger is better,
although a skeleton's Armor Class doesn't
improve as much with larger size cat¬
egories. For skeletons, you should look
for base creatures with multiple natural
attacks. Most creatures with more than
two attacks have a relatively high CR,
making them difficult to summon (such
as with the summon monster and summon
nature's ally spells) but not to animate.
Like zombies, skeletons retain their
Strength and Dexterity scores, so try to
find creatures with high scores in those
abilities. Finally look for creatures that
deal better damage for their size than the
skeleton template's listed claw damage.

Winged skeletons can't fly. However,
skeletons can take advantage of other
movement types. A very fast creature,
like a deinonychus, retains its speed
and running ability, making it a formi¬
dable mount.

WWMIKfy

Few creatures or characters prove
more dangerous than a necromancer
who pairs with a powerful tra ns muter.
Such a duo can combine animate
dead and various bizarre breeding
experiments to produce a corps of elite
undead capable of tearing apart any
living creature.

How?

It's simple, really. The necromancer's
level limits the number of zombies and
skeletons he can control. Monsters usu¬
ally don't gain more Hit Dice with the

addition of a template, but they
generally do gain ability score increases,
often to Strength and Dexterity.

For example, a 6th4evel necroman¬
cer can control two ankheg zombies.
Alternatively, he can control two
half-dragon ankheg zombies, two half¬
fiend ankheg zombies, or even two
half-fiend half-dragon ankheg zombies
(remember, you can stack multiple
templates on the same creature}. Of
course, your DM might not always
present such creatures for your party
to slay, but that's why your necroman¬
cer has a transmitter ally with access
to polymorph any object. The skeleton
of a squirrel can become the dead
body of a dragon turtle with the cast¬
ing of a single spell.

OFTOMNU

iiiti

Necromancers seeking the best corpses
to animate should consider the crea¬
tures listed on the Top Three Animate
Dead Choices table. The primary
creature or creatures for each caster
level generally make good fighters as
undead. Others work well as backup
fighters, mounts for the necromancer
and his allies, or for some other useful
attribute. Keep in mind that a single
animate dead spell can animate both
skeletons and zombies if the creatures'
total Hit Dice do not exceed twice the
caster's level, 2

TOP THREE ANIMATE DEAD CHOICES

Caster

Level

1st Choice

2nd Choice

3rd Choice

Sth

5-headed hydra skeletons (2)

ID-headed hydra skeleton

Vrock skeleton

6th

6-headed hydra skeletons (2)

12-headed hydra skeleton

Glabrezu skeleton

7th

7’headed hydra skeletons (2)

Wyvern skeletons (2)

Athach skeleton

8th

S-headed hydra skeletons (2)

Pegasus zombies (2)

Marilith skeleton

9th

Pit fiend skeleton

9-headed hydra skeletons (2)

6-headed hydra skeletons (3)

10th

Young adult gotd dragon skeleton

10-headed hydra skeletons (2)

Pit fiend skeleton

11th

11-headed hydra skeleton (2}

Young adult gold dragon skeleton

10-headed hydra skeletons (2)

12th

12-headed hydra skeleton (2)

6-headed hydra skeletons (4)

Glabrezu skeletons (2)

13 th

Young red dragon skeletons (2)

12-headed hydra skeleton (2}

6-headed hydra skeletons (4)

14th

Athach skeletons (2)

7-headed hydra skeletons (4)

Remorhaz zombies (2)

15th

Cauchemar skeletons [2)

Homed devil skeletons (2)

5-headed hydra skeletons (6}

16th

Marilith skeletons (2)

8-headed hydra skeletons (4)

Deinonychus skeletons (8]

17th

Juvenile gold dragon skeletons (2)

Cloud giant skeletons (2)

Marilith skeletons (2)

18th

Pit fiend skeletons (2)

juvenile gold dragon skeletons (2)

9-headed hydra skeletons {4}

19th

Young adult red dragon skeletons (2)

Storm giant skeletons (2)

Pit fiend skeletons (2)

20th

Young adult gold dragon skeletons (2)

10-headed hydra skeletons (4)

Titan skeletons (2)

October 2004 DRAGON 324

ECOLOGY

by F. Wesley Schneider
illustrated by Peter Bergting

THE ECOLOGY
OF HICHT HUGE

Begone, you hag who lurks in dreams t who drains our life
through cries and screams. Cods bless this ward to keep
me whole ; and keep the night hag from my soul.

—Van Richteris Guide to Witches

I nnumerable fears plague mortals, but among them fear of
the dark, the intangible, and the unknown rank as some of
the greatest. Hailing from the bleakest hells of the Outer
Planes' endless infinities, countless creatures embody these
most potent of fears. Among these extraplanar terrors, no one
cruel breed so seeks to wreak horror and spread suffering as
the nightmare queens of Hades, the sinister and hateful night
hags. With a lust for power that rivals even the most ambitious
devils combined with the hungry bioodlust of demons, night
hags insatiably crave that which only the living proride. Com¬
moner or prince, human or elf, all have reason to fear, as night
hags hunger equally for the souls of all mortals.

Having preyed upon the living for countless centuries,
warnings of night hags and their powers have become the
stuff of superstitions and old wives' tales. Although little truth

remains in such country advice, many such tales find their basis
in actual practices capable of warding off a night hag’s predatory
wrath. This article examines the nature of night hags, collecting
an assortment of such minors, legends, and advice, to best pre¬
pare those who would face these otherworldly horrors.

HISTORY OF NIGHT HUGS

For many extraplanar creatures, it is enough to say that they
always were, and thus they are now. However, night hags are
as ancient as any fiend, and their similarities to the hags of the
Material Plane raises the peculiar question of their origins.
Many scholars speculate that night hags are merely planar rela¬
tives of nomial hags; another breed, native to the Outer Planes,
and different only in the same ways that annis hags differ from
green hags or sea hags. However, the fearful abilities and cruel
cunning of night hags make them seem like ideals of the hag
race. Regardless of their origins, most of those who investigate the
specifics of night hags are interested in a much different history:
the countless stories and towering records of terrorized countries
and lifeless villages that owe their ruin to these hag queens.

€6

DRAGON 324 October 2004

NIGHT HAG KNOWLEDGE

A character might know something about night hags from stories or prior studies. The following
table shows the results of a Knowledge (the planes] check as it relates to night hags.

Knowledge
(the planes)

DC Result

10 Some foul creatures haunt the dreams of mortals, wearing them down with
increasingly horrible nightmares that eventually kill
IS Night hags are fearful beings from the Outer Planes, more powerful than other
hags, that take the forms of mortals and hunger for the flesh and souls of
innocent creatures.

20 Night hags are mistresses of nightmares that put their enemies to sleep and strangle
them while unconscious. They are immune to many forces that affect mortals, such
as fire and cold, and they never sleep.

25 Night hags are far different creatures from normal hags, with vast knowledge of
forbidden secrets and the power to become ethereal. Fortunately, night hags are
vul nerable to weapons of magic cold iron.

30 Night hags form alliances with a multitude of evil extraplanar creatures, know much
of their ways, and afflict their enemies with the diseases of the lower planes. All night
hags carry hcartstones, which they need to become ethereal and which hold the power
to cure any disease.

PHF5I010CV OF NIGHT M

Evert when compared to other hags, night
hags appear as grotesque crones. Said
to look like extraordinarily ugly human
women, such a statement does an irrepa¬
rable disservice to the gender of that spe¬
cies, Thus, a more apt description might
compare them to small, female trolls;
their skin ranging from a light purple-
blue all the way to near black and blistered
with the foul planar diseases they carry.

Nearly all night hags wear wild manes
of coarse black hair with bones, severed
fingers, and small trinkets woven into
it in whatever manner they believe
makes them appear most threatening.
This grotesque coif often dangles over a
night hags face and much of her body,
possibly hiding her rows of awkwardly
protruding pointed teeth dripping with
diseased saliva. Above, a pair of deep
hollows veil hellish red pupils, little
more than maddened pinpricks looking
out over a sharply pointed nose.

To augment their fearsome appear¬
ances, night hags often cover their
grotesquely emaciated bodies in self-
inflicted tattoolike scars. This sickly,
tormented facade belies a night hag's
significant strength and the threat of her
wicked daws. However, many of a night
hag's joints seem to bend in awkward
ways, disturbing to mortal witnesses,
which make them relatively slow and
ungainly creatures.

Night hags reproduce in a man¬
ner exceedingly foul to mortal minds,
creating young to serve in their coveys
or as servants. Using their polymorph
spelUike ability to disguise themselves
as mortal women* night hags seduce
men into a meeting that as likely as not
culminates in the males' deaths. After
such a coupling, a night hag becomes
pregnant for a length of time normal for
women of her mate's species. At the end
of this period, the night hag gives birth
to a dark-haired female child otherwise
indistinguishable from others of her
mate's species. Having no concept of

maternal instincts, night hags always
foster their children, usually to unsus¬
pecting good-aligned creatures and even
with the child's father if he still lives.

At any time between the child's first
birthday and puberty, a night hag might
return to perform a series of despoil¬
ing rites that culminates in the child's
transformation into a normal night hag.
The process begins with an initial visita¬
tion during which the night hag must
engage her child in a foul ceremony for
an uninterrupted hour. After this initial
ritual, the night hag must return three
times* each visit thirteen days after the

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October 2004 DRAGON 324

ECOLOGY

last* On these visits, the night hag must
suckle the child and feed it the flesh of a
living larva, a process that takes an hour.

If any of these feedings are interrupted,
or if the night hag carft access the child by
the end of the proper day, the child cannot
be transformed into a night hag. Other¬
wise, the end of the final feeding Initiates
a rapid and irreversible transformation,
and within an hour the child becomes a
full-grown night hag* Uncaring of their
daughters but covetous of their uses,
night flags often foster more children than
they have any intention of transforming
into full-blooded night liags, essentially
keeping spare children littered across the
planes should their plans require more
servants or their current broods dwindle.

PSYCHOLOGY AND
SOCIETY Of NIGHT HUGS

Naturally cruel beings, night hags
obsess over dreams of power and end¬
less feasts of mortal souls. They think
nothing of other creatures except in how
they relate to die night hags’ desires*

This leads night hags to relegate any
creature less powerful than them to the
position of either slave or meal, with
slaves often merely serving as future
meals. Night hags manipulate and bar¬
gain with creatures they don't believe
they can defeat, in the hopes of extorting
as much use as possible and perhaps
leaving them vulnerable.

Night hags pay little respect to the
concept of racial privilege and contend
with others of their race in the same
manner they deal with all other creatures,
with strong night hags subjugating their
weaker sisters. Night hags sometimes
deal with the hags of the Material Plane
but never as equals and always as mas¬
ters. These extraplanar hags maintain a
deeply rooted sense of superiority when it
comes to normal hags and cruelly domi¬
nate either an individual or whole covey.
Selfish and supercilious in the extreme,
night hags rarely form coveys with their
own kind and most assuredly never
with lesser hags of the Material Plane.
When a covey of night hags does form,
it most often consists of a dominant
night hag and two weaker night hags or
even three night hags forced by a more
powerful night hag to do her bidding.

These weaker night hags might be hags
the leader subjugated or, more often, the
dominant hag’s own daughters* A covey
of night hags has the same abilities of a
covey of normal hags, as noted on page
144 of the Monster Manual.

NIGHT HUG LHIRS

Night hags most commonly Inhabit the
grim plane known as the Gray Waste of
Hades, but their cruel ambitions cause
them to roam far. Using portals, powerful
magic items, and other planar connec¬
tions, night hags often travel quite exten¬
sively and blow much of the planes.

Only the most powerful night hags
make lairs on their native planes, using
legions of lesser fiends, extraplanar hor¬
rors, and their own daughters to carve
out small personal empires. Weaker hags
prefer nomadic existences in such infer¬
nal realms but more often haunt wooded
ruins and lonely crags near secluded
towns and villages on the Material Plane*
A night hag's lair often consists of two
lairs, one on the Material Plane and
another on the Ethereal Plane, Using
their etherealness ability to drag materials
with them from the Material Plane, they
construct simplistic tow r ers of stone and
iron—grim, hard edifices among the
ghostly vapors* These terrible lairs are
little more than planar prisons, holding
captives a night hag particularly values or
protecting her uncorrupted children dur¬
ing their crucial transformation period.
Although these lairs might leave hostages
victim to unpredictable planar dangers,
night hags often delight in trapping their
captives in the dual prisons of their grisly
lair and the ghostly Ethereal Plane.

With the ability to shift from lair
to lair using her etherealness spell-like
ability, a night hag spends much of
her time on the Ethereal Plane schem¬
ing and performing all manner of foul
rites. A night hag would probably lair
solely on the Ethereal Plane, render¬
ing herself nearly undetectable to
most hunters, if not for that plane's
numerous threats* Between sporadic
ether cyclones and the countless pow¬
erful creatures that lurk in that misty
realm, the Material Plane sometimes
offers a safer place to store posses¬
sions and captives.

NIGHT HAGS
AND LARVAE

Night hags engage in a strange connection
to the rare petitioners of Hades known as
larva (see page 108 of the Manual of the
Planes), The manifested souls of unques¬
tionably evil creatures reborn as bloated,
yellow, wormlike beings, the existence of
these creatures presents one of the great
mysteries of the planes. With distorted
faces reminiscent of those they had in life,
larvae ooze a sickening, bilious fluid and
constantly writhe like giant, squirming
maggots. Although the specifics of their
use remain vague, night hags require these
abominations to reproduce. Some night
hags even gather and trade larvae to other
powerful evil creatures, which use them
as food, currency, and as “soul stuff' for
unspeakable projects.

Night hags possess an uncanny ability
to determine which mortals become larva
upon their deaths and perhaps even know
what foul deeds a soul must commit to
damn it to eternity as a larva. Knowing
that these irredeemably corrupt souls
hold value among the most depraved
creatures of the planes, night hags often
seek out powerful evil individuals, either
to slay them and claim the newly spawned
larva or to corrupt their immortal beings
into the abominations they covet. As
creatures With more Hit Dice spawn more
powerful larvae, night hags are an inces¬
sant threat to powerful evil creatures,
especially to spelkasters who bargain
with infernal powers.

From her strategically chosen lair, a
night hag ventures into the homes of her
victims nightly and with ease, afflicting
one creature at a time, savoring its tor¬
ment as its body weakens and dies. As
a night hag's dream haunting can only
affect chaotic or evil creatures, a night
hag often preys first upon the outcasts
of a settlement. Few become concerned
when the criminals and rabble-rousers
of their community die in their sleep—
many even consider it a blessing—until
the night hag's nocturnal assaults kill a
notable person or someone considered
innocent* Often, a community with a
night hag lairing nearby believes some
kind of plague resistant to all forms
of natural and magical healing afflicts
them. Such a belief might even cause a
country to quarantine an area, effectively
dooming it to a slow death at the daws
of a voracious night hag. As some of the
populace sickens and dies from the hag's
dream haunting, even those who suspect

DRAGON 324 October 2004

an otherworldly force can rarely hope to
survive a combat against a night hag.

On the rare occasions a night hag
is suspected or discovered, actually
finding her lair presents a formidable
challenge. Night hags prefer small,
secluded caves, hollows, or mins,
choosing a lair both difficult to reach
and that elicits fear from those who
come near. Riddling the areas near
their homes with magic traps and
their servants, and with no need to
sleep, night hags are rarely caught
unaware. Night hags take great offense
to intruders and often possess a variety
of unique magic traps and weapons to
deal with interlopers (see “By the Hands
of Hags” in Dragon #300).

VI NIGHT HAGS

When facing a night hag, be prepared
to face what might be the most dan¬
gerous and unrepentantly evil threat
you could ever encounter. A night hag
employs every advantage she com¬
mands and gladly makes even the
most dire sacrifices to save her own
life. Thus, extreme caution, devotion
to your cause, and the blessings of
whatever gods you pray to are the only
things that might see you through.

Revealing Nightmares: Beings suffer¬
ing from dream haunting gradually lose
Constitution and often appear physically
weaker. Although many diseases cause
similar effects, night hags only haunt
the drea ms of chaotic and evil creatures,
thus spells like detect chaos and detect evil
might reveal a hag's potential victims.
True seeing most definitively reveals the
presence of a dream haunting night
hag, however, as she lurks on the Ethe¬
real Plane while terrorizing her victim.

Locate the Lair: Although a night hag
most likely travels ethereally, the tracks
of her allies or those she’s captured
might offer a hint about the creature's
whereabouts. Once you locate it, a night
hag s lair might be guarded by almost any
threat culled from the mortal world or
from the outer planes. Thus, divination
spells and high Listen, Spot, and Search
bonuses help protect you from any man¬
ner of attack.

Prepare for Etherealness: Upon
encountering a night hag, you must

prepare to defend yourself from a
creature capable of becoming ethereal.
Shield spells and items like a broach
of shielding defend against her ability
to cast magic missile at will. True seeing
helps immensely, both to locate the
night hag on the Ethereal Plane and to
detect her attempts to poly morph herself
into another form and hide. Spells and
magic items capable of ensnaring even
ethereal creatures, such zsforcecage,
prove exceptionally useful.

However, the best way to face an
ethereal night hag is confronting her
on equal footing. This makes the ability
to become ethereal, as per the ethereal
jaunt or etherealness spell, exceptionally
useful, although trapping a hag on the
Material Plane, via dimensional anchor
or dimensional lock spells or with dimen¬
sional shackles , could be an even more
potent tactic.

The best way to deal with a night
hag’s etherealness is to take or destroy
her heartitonc. Without it a night hag
loses her ability to become ethereal and
bonuses to her saves.

Face Your Fears: Many novice hunt¬
ers turn to the dismissal spell as a swift
way of dispatching outsider threats—a
method fraught with potential for fail¬
ure when used against a night hag. The
primary danger is that dismissal forces
its target to make a Will save, which
the night hag holds the highest chance
of succeeding at. Also, even if the spell
does work, it only returns the night
hag to the Gray Wastes of Hades. Being
immortal creatures with a penchant for
hatred, cruelty, and revenge, a banished
night hag often remembers those who
slighted her and might spend the rest
of eternity searching for whomever
banished her to repay the slight.

Stay Grounded: Although night hags
often use it to spy upon and retreat from
hunters, their etherealness ability provides
one of their most threatening attacks .

Upon grappling a target, a night hag that
shifts to the Ethereal Plane might trap
an opponent there, potentially cutting
him off from his allies. Knowing that
sorcerers and wizards have the highest
likelihood of detecting and harming
them while ethereal, as well as having the
least chance of resisting a full-on assault,

night hags watch for chances to ambush
and slaughter spellcasters in this man¬
ner Protect your spellcasters from this
strategy by giving them a better chance at
avoiding and resisting grapple attempts.
Spells such as blur , buffs strength, displace -
mmt, and grease might help. Also, keep
scrolls ofethereal jaunt or scrolls of ethereal¬
ness on hand to allow other characters to
come to the trapped character’s rescue.
You might even cast dimensional anchor
on yourself and party members if you
anticipate an encounter with a night hag.

Strike While the Iron is Cold: Only
magic cold iron weapons ignore a night
hag’s damage reduction. Consider own¬
ing such a weapon or using the magic
weapon spell on mundane cold iron.

Protect Hostages: Night hags often
hold captives on the Ethereal Plane and
use them as bargaining chips to manipu¬
late hunters or others who care about the
hostage’s safety. Ruthless crones, night
hags brook no insolence, and they swiftly
shift to the Ethereal Plane to dispatch
their prisoners, often taking severaJ cap¬
tives to allow them to easily make a gory
example of one or more. In such cases,
your primary concern should be keeping
the night hag away from her hostages.
The dimensional anchor and forcecage
spells again prove useful, allowing the
party to combat the hag without fearing
for the safety of innocents.

Beware Waking Nightmares: Night
hags often enlist the aid of the fiendish
steeds known as nightmares, espe¬
cially prizing half-fiend cauchemars.
With the aid of a creature that is both
a plane-shifting mount and a powerful
ally in combat, night hags gain all the
benefits of mounted com bat and the
ability to hide not just on the Ethereal
Plane, but on any plane connected
to the Astral Plane. Your best hopes
rely on swiftly dispatching the night
hag’s nightmare or casting dimensional
anchor upon either the mount or the
rider to limit their planar mobility.

Deal with the Disease: Upon dispatch¬
ing a night hag, liberally applied Heal
checks and cure disease spells ward off the
effects of demon fever You should also
watch for multiple afflictions contracted
from the night hag’s allies or traps, as they
favor poisoned and diseased guardians. ^

October 2004 DRAGON 324

SPELLCRAFT

by Rich Rurlew
illustrated by Mike May

HIDDEN BOOK

O n an unremarkable shelf in the most neglected

section of the least prestigious magic university in the
land sits a small brown book with no distinguishing
qualities whatsoever. Entitled simply Aw Examination of the
Effect of Atmospheric Disturbances on die Mating Habits of
Aphids, none of the many learned wizards and scholars who
have searched through the library's stacks over the years
have ever felt even the slightest urge to peruse it. It has
thus sat untouched for decades, perhaps centuries, since its
gnome author donated it to the school.

Unknown to all, however, the small book's author was
not the long-forgotten sage whose name appears on the
cover, but rather a powerful gnome illusionist. The gnome
spent his entire professional life stretching the boundaries
of what illusion magic can accomplish and recorded all
of his findings in this single tome. While he gifted the
university with the sum of his knowledge, his sense of
humor could not resist playing a little joke on future
generations. He gave his work a fake title and author, and
interspersed engravings of aphids throughout the text to
give anyone flipping through it the impression that the
book's title was accurate. He also littered the book with
secret page spells. Finally, be delivered his masterpiece
mixed in with seven cartloads of other mundane books that
he had acquired solely to camouflage his true gift. Thus.

the book was added to the university's collection with no
one the wiser to its true contents.

One of the gnome illusionist's most promising
apprentices began searching for her master's masterpiece
soon after he died. She knew he donated it to a library, but
she could never find out when or to which one. Knowing
her master's penchant for supporting smaller institutions
of learning, she began a search for the book among all the
lesser magic university libraries. Even the smallest such
libraries held thousands of tomes, and she never knew
which of the myriad books in the stacks belonged to her
master. Her quest to locate the Hidden Book, as she called
it, passed down to her apprentices, and then to theirs. Four
generations of gnome wizards have searched for the Hidden
Book and none have yet found it. It has become something
of a joke among gnome scholars, and many wonder if the
book ever existed at all.

The book does exist, and some of its contents are
described below,

CHALKBOARD

Illusion (Figment)

Level: Sor/Wiz 0

Components; S, M

Casting Time: 1 standard action

DRAGON 324 October 2004

Range; Close (25 ft + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect; Figment of chalkboard up to 10
ft. by 10 ft. square

Duration: Concentration + 1 round/
level

Saving Throw: Will disbelief (if
interacted with)

Spell Resistance: No

Favored by apprentices and young
wizards just coming into their
magical powers, this spell creates
an intangible, opaque, floating
plane with the appearance of a slate
chalkboard. The chalkboard must be
square, but it can be any size from 1-
inch to 10-feet square. It first appears
floating vertically at arm's length
from you. Thereafter, as long as you
continue to concentrate, you may
move the image within the limits of
the spell's range as a free action. You
can draw on this illusory chalkboard
by moving your finger as you would
apiece of chalk. An illusory line
of any color you choose appears
as you move your hand across the
plane. You can erase existing lines
by wiping them out with the flat
of your hand. You can create the
chalkboard as either a blank plane or
one covered in writing and pictures
(as detailed or vague as you wish, but
within the limitations of what you
can create with chalk).

If you move, the illusion moves
with you, always staying in the
same relative orientation to you and
distance from you. You can hide
behind a sufficiently large chalkboard,
providing you with concealment.
Material Component: A piece of
colored chalk.

HIM Of GRANDEUR

Illusion (Phantasm) [Mind*Affecting]
Level: Brd 2, Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V

Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft/level)
Target: One creature
Duration: 10 min./level
Saving Throw; Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

This powerful phantasm fools the
subject into believing itself more
competent than it really is. The spell
makes any action the target considers
attempting, even the most daunting
feats, seem easily accomplished
requiring only a token effort. Deadly
wounds seem like mere scratches,
stalwart foes appear weak and
intimidated, and the subject’s own
attacks seem stronger and more
effective. As a result of its skewed
perceptions, the subject suffers a -2
penalty on all attack rolls, saves, ability
checks, and skill checks, as well as a

NEW SPELLS WITHIN
THE HIDDEN BOOK

The Hidden Book contains many illusion
spells from the Player's Handbook, as well
as lengthy treatises on proper ways to use
them. It is most notable, however, for the
spells developed personally by the tome s
author. He was a master of using illusions in
unusuai and unexpected ways, particularly
mind-altering phantasms. The following
spells represent some of his more creative
experiments in his chosen field.

Assassin Spell

Znd’Level Assassin Spell

Phantom Foe: Phantasm flanks subject.

Bard Spell

2nd-level Bard Spell

Delusions of Grandeur. Subject becomes
overconfident and careless.

Sorcerer/Wizard Spells

0-Level Sorcerer/Wizard SpeJis

Chalkboard: Creates opaque plane you can
write on.

2nd-level Sorcerer/Wizard Spells
Delusions of Grandeur: Subject becomes
overconfident and careless.

Phantom Foe: Phantasm flanks subject,

3rd-level Sorcerer/Wizard Spells
Sensory Depravation: Subject cannot
perceive world around It
6th-Level Sorcerer/Wizard Spells
Shadowy Grappter: Shadowy force
grapples subject.

Solipsism: Subject is convinced the
world is fake.

October 2QQ4 DRAGON 324

SPELLCRAFT

-2 penalty to its Wisdom score. This
penalty cannot reduce the target's
Wisdom below 1, Finally, the subject
becomes so completely enamored with
its own (false) abilities that it cannot
fight defensively or take the total
defense action,

PHANTOM FOE

Illusion (Phantasm) [Mind-Affecting)

Level: Assassin 2 r Sor/Wiz 2

Components: V, $, F

Casting Time: 1 standard action

Range: Touch

Target: Creature touched

Duration: 1 round/level

Saving Throw: Will negates

Spell Resistance: No

This spell creates in the target's
mind an illusory double of
whichever creature threatens it
that it deems most dangerous. The
form of this phantom foe changes
as appropriate whenever the target
perceives a different threatening
creature as more dangerous than
the last This illusory double creates
two effects.

First the phantom foe flanks the
target with the creature the target
fears most. If that space is already
occupied, the phantom foe occupies
another flanking position or the
closest available square. This ensures
that while the spell lasts, the target is
always flanked. Creatures immune to
flanking are not subject to this aspect
of the spell.

Second, the target of the spell is
unable to determine where the real
threat lies. Whenever the target
attempts to attack the threatening
creature, the target suffers a 50%
miss chance. Because this miss
chance comes from the target's
inability' to tell the phantom foe from
the original, it is rolled separately
from chances to miss due to
displacement or concealment.

Creatures other than the target
cannot see the phantom foe. although
they can attempt to guess its location
by how the target acts. If no creature
threatens the target for more than
1 round, or if the phan tom foe

cannot threaten the target, the spell
immediately ends.

Focus: A tiny pewter figure of a
warrior that costs 10 gp.

SENSORY DEPRIVATION

Illusion (Phantasm) [Mind-Affecting]

Level: Sor/Wiz 3

Components: V, S, M

Casting Time: 1 standard action

Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft/level)

Target: One creature

Duration: 1 round/level

Saving Throw: Will negates

Spell Resistance: Yes

Rather than creating an illusion of
something, this spell creates an illusion
of absolute nothingness. The spell
effect surrounds the target in a dark
dinging shadow only it perceives,
which blocks all auditory, olfactory',
taste, and visual sensations. In addition,
it blocks finely tuned senses of touch
such as those that provide a creature
with tremorsense. A subject that fails
its save is blinded and deafened, and
it gains no benefit from biindsense,
blindsight, scent, or tremorsense.

The subject retains any telepathic or
empathic links it might possess with
other creatures while affected by the spell.

Material Component: Black silk cloth
tied like a blindfold,

SHADOWY CRAPFIER

Illusion (Shadow) [Mind*Affecting]

Level: Sor/Wiz 6

Components: V, 5, M

Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)

Target: One creature

Duration: 1 round/level (D)

Saving Throw: Will partial (see text)
Spell Resistance: Yes

Upon casting this spell, you create
a shadowy force perceptible only to
the target that automatically grabs
the target (see the grappling rules on
page 156 of the Flayer's Handbook).
The shadowy force immediately
attempts to establish a hold on the
target with a grapple check bonus
equal to 10 + your caster level + your
bonus for the relevant spdlcasting
ability (Intelligence for wizards and

Charisma for sorcerers). If the target
succeeds at its saving throw, the
creature's grapple check bonus is
cut in half. For example, a 12th-level
sorcerer with a 16 Charisma who casts
this spell creates a shadowy grappler
with a grapple check bonus of+25 if
the target fails its save and +12 if the
target makes its save.

Every round on your turn, the
shadowy grappler makes a grapple
check against die target. Once it has
a hold, the shadow)' force attempts to
pin the target on the following round.
If the imaginary grappler establishes
a pin t it uses the option to prevent the
target from speaking (see ”If You're
Pinning an Opponent” on page 156 of
the Flayer's Handbook). The imaginary
grappler always attempts to maintain a
grapple or work toward a pin.

The imaginary grappler is always
considered in the same square as the
target and moves with the target for as
long as the spell lasts. Other creatures
cannot join the grapple, either to assist
the target or the imaginary grappler.

Material Component: A dried
squid tentacle.

SOLIPSISM

illusion (Phantasm) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V

Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft, + 10 ft /level)
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round/level (D)

Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

You manipulate the senses of one
creature so that it perceives itself
as the only real creature in all of
existence and that everything around
it is merely an illusion.

If the target fails its save, it is
convinced of the unreality' of every
situation. It takes no actions, not even
purely mental actions, and instead
watches the world around it with
bemusement. The target becomes
effectively helpless and takes no steps
to defend itself from any threat, as it
considers any hostile action merely
another illusion, w

DRAGON 324 October 2004

FANTASY

TAKEN

BACK

THE

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Celebrate the 10th anniversary of the classic Plan escape* setting with this new book by
veteran Plane&cape designers Monte Cook, Wolfgang Baur, Colin McComb, and Ray Vatlese.

18 new planes for any d20 campaign, with a foreword by David "Zeb” Cook

Free previews at www.montecook.com
On sale in October • 224 pages • $34-99 (US) ♦ WW16108 * ISBN

litd Ehedao System logo are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries and are used with permission. The Sword & Sorcery logo Is a trademark of White Wolf Publishing, Inc,

MAGIC SHOP

by Robert J, Hahn

illustrated fey Eric Ktm s(Jim Zubkamch

T rue power demands a price. The monk who forsakes
simple comforts for martial mastery, the rogue who
indulges his vices and must live a step ahead of the
law, and the cleric who dedicates her existence to her
god all make sacrifices for the power they desire, Magic
also demands such a price for the vast power it offers, a
price as considerable as the world shaping might it prom¬
ises, The following magic items embody this truth, each
requiring something from their users to inspire their
potent magic,

HEHOlin MERCY

The god Heironeous granted the first of these gloves to his
worshipers during one of their earliest crusades. The armies'
limited numbers of clerics were positioned at the forefront
of their offensive, but the lack of healing magic in support¬
ing offensives was taking its toll. Even in integral battles,
severely wounded warriors died before a priest could be
found. Thus, these gloves were created, granting the wearer
both the power to heal and the means to send a tortured soul
to Heironeous’s embrace.

These pale gray gloves allow the wearer to use dmthwatch
at will and death kndl 3 times per day. In addition, once per
day, these gloves allow their wearer to transfer wounds from
an injured creature to himself The wearer must choose how
many hit points of damage he wishes to absorb, up to a max¬
imum of 20 hp, healing the touched creature by that amount
and suffering the absorbed damage himself.

Faint necromancy; CL 5th: Craft Wondrous Item, death
kndl, deathwatch; Price 30,000 gp; Weight 1 lb.

RING Of THE MYniCI ELITE

Typically created by specialist wizards who have very
restricted views of magic and cast spells from a limited
number of schools, these rings are most commonly
granted from one member of an arcane brotherhood to a
spellcaster being offered membership. These rings offer
more power in a focused area, but at the cost of flexibility.
Anyone discovered wearing a ring not given to them can
expect severe repercussions, the least of which is loss of
the ring itself.

After being worn for 24 hours, this ring grants the
wearer a number of bonus spells. These bonus spells can
be chosen from any spell level the caster can prepare or
knows. The combined spell levels of these bonus spells
equal the wearer's caster level Thus, a lOth-level wizard
could prepare a number of bonus spells whose total spell
levels are equal to 10; such as two 5th level spells, or one
4th-, 3rd-, 2nd-, and Ist-level spell. These bonus spells

DRAGON 324 October 2004

THE HIM OF KfllETOR

Kaletor was a half-elf druid whose
black bear animal companion was
slain defending him from an attack.
In his grief Kaletor attempted to
return his friend's spirit into its
dead body, but he failed. Instead, he
trapped a small part of his friend's
spirit in the decomposing skin. Sens¬
ing the spirit, Kaletor tanned the
bear's hide, believing that he could
wear the skin as a cloak and forever
have his friend beside him. While
never able to communicate, he could
feel the bear's strength with him
whenever he wore the tattered bear¬
skin cloak.

This bearskin cloak is shaggy
and unkempt with the bear's head
forming a hood. It gives off a pow¬
erful rotting stench that is imme¬
diately noticeable and incurs a -6
penalty on all Charisma-based skill
checks and wild empathy checks.
When wearing the skin of Kaletor, a
druid can use the wild shape abil¬
ity as if he were four levels higher
than his current druid leveL Addi¬
tionally, any non-druid who wears
the cloak can use the wild shape
ability once per day as a 4th-
level druid.

Faint transmutation; CL 4th;
Craft Wondrous item, creator
must be a druid; Price 12,000
gp; Weight 10 lb.

THE FOOL’S PLATE

Only a fool would use a
silver serving tray as a
buckler, right? Temsel
“Floppy Ears" Garson,
eminent gnome jester of
a late king, made this item
a household legend when he
foiled an assassination attempt
aimed at his majesty. It's been
said that the would-be assassin
laughed so hard at the fool brandish¬
ing a serving plate that he fell uncon¬
scious from lack of breath, but the
more prominent story {told by the
jester himself) spins a tale of daring
wits and mesmerizing magic.

This + J buckler appears at first
glance to be nothing more than a sil¬
ver platter. When used as a buckler,
its mirrored face forces anyone who
attacks the wielder to make a DC 10
Will save or come under the effect of
a daze spell. The wielder can also use
the shield once per day to cast hyp¬
notic pattern. Unfortunately, whenever
either of these spells are invoked, the
shield's user must make the same
save as his target or be affected by the
same effect.

Faint illusion; CL 3rd; Craft Magic
Arms and Armor, daze t hypnotic pat¬
tern; Price 7,200 gp; Weight 3 lb.

are prepared and cast as normal and
may be used in conjunction with
metamagic feats.

However, each of these rings
forbids the wearer from using a par¬
ticular school of magic immediately
upon donning it Roll on the follow¬
ing chart. If the character is already
denied the school forbidden by the
ring, roll again. Once the forbidden
school is chosen, it does not change
unless the ring is removed for 24
hours; after that time, the for¬
bidden school is again chosen
randomly when the wearer
puts on the ring.

Strong universal; CL 17th;

Forge Ring, irish; Price 306,000
gp; Weight —,

FORBIDDEN SCHOOL

dS Result School

1 Abjuration

2 Conjuration

3 Divination

4 Enchantment

5 Evocation

6 Illusion

7 Necromancy

8 Transmutation

IEBER RIHC OF IDE MYITICfll ELITE

This ring functions exactly as a ring
of the mystical elite except that the
combined spell levels of the bonus
spells cannot exceed half the wearer' s
highest caster level. Thus, a 13th
level sorcerer can cast a number of
additional spells per day whose com¬
bined spell levels are no greater than
6. Additionally the ring only forbids
spells from the forbidden school of
4th level and higher.

Strong universal; CL 13 th; Forge
Ring, limited wish; Price
182,000 gp; Weight—,

MW! Win WIND

The druid Shadahkar imbued these
sandals with the spirit of the leopard
to allow her swift passage across the
savannas of her homeland, Origi¬
nally used by messengers to travel
swiftly from village to village, they
later became instrumental in her
people's war against gnoll invaders,

October 2004 DRAGON 324

MAGIC SHOP

providing a fast and reliable commu¬
nications network.

These leopard-skinned sandals grant
the wearer an extra 10 feet to her base
movement and access to the Endurance
and Run feats. However, they make the
wearer jittery and generally off balance,
causing a -2 penalty to Dexterity.

Faint transmutation; CL 1st; Craft
Wondrous Item, expeditious retreat;

Price 8350 gp; Weight 1 lb*

MANTLE Of THE WINTER WITCH

Sasrasandra, a sorceress from the north¬
ern wastes, discovered this cloak buried
in the treasure of a young white dragon.
Its power was her first step in uniting
the tribes of the frozen north, who in
turn granted her the title of Winter
Witch, Lost decades ago to an elven raid¬
ing party, various tribal leaders still covet
its power, hoping to be the chieftain who
once again reunites the tribes.

The wearer of this mottled, white *
fur-trimmed cloak gains resistance to
cold 10, and a +1 bonus per damage
die to any spell she casts with the cold
descriptor. While wearing the cloak, the
wearer feels an unnatural aversion to
fire, gaining vulnerability to fire. Crea¬
tures vulnerable to fire take half again
as much {+50%) damage as normal
from fire effects, regardless of whether
a saving throw is allowed or if an
allowed save is a success or failure.

Moderate evocation; CL 9th; Craft
Wondrous Item, cone of cold, resist
energy; Price 17,000 gp; Weight 2 lb,

HCIBTIHIlin FOLLY

long as the wearer keeps speaking (which
is a free action) +5 rounds. Unfortunately,
the magic of this armor is unstable, and
10% of the time, the ability does not
work and instead panics all affected
creatures for 10 rounds.

Moderate enchantment; CL
8th; Craft Magic Arms and
Armor, creator must be a bard;

Price 6,000 gp; Weight 35 lb.

MASK OF FURY

Ore priests originally created
these ferocious symbols of
war to aid their wandering raiders, but
many have since fallen into the hands
of adventurers* Ores revere these masks
with religious devotion and considerate
it blasphemy to find one in the hands of
a non-ore. Entire warbands of ores swear
quests to recover these masks from the
hands of other races. Once recovered,
cleansing the mask of the non-ore's taint
entails a grisly ritual that includes bath¬
ing the mask in the blasphemer's blood.

This half mask bears the image of
a predatory beast, granting the wearer
the ability to rage, as the barbarian
ability, twice per day. The mask can only
be activated by smearing it with the
wearer’s own blood, an act that requires
a standard action and causes 3 points of
damage if the wearer has not suffered
damage in the last hour. However, if the
wearer has been wounded within the last
hour, activating this item is a free action
that requires no further blood loss.

Faint enchantment; CL 5th; Craft
Wondrous Item, rage; Price 12,000 gp:
Weight 2 lb*

This crude +2 thundering cold iron
warhammer has been wielded for centu¬
ries by both master and amateurs alike.
This long service has granted it a kind
of semi-intelligence. The warhammer
expects competency from its wielder and
punishes those who fail to use it properly.
When a wielder fails an attack roll, the
warhammer bestows a cumulative -1
penalty on its next attack roll. Should the
wielder fail ten consecutive attack rolls,
the warhammer abandons the wielder
permanently. Henceforth, should the
failed wielder attempt to use the warham¬
mer, it becomes too awkward to wield.
Conversely* the warhammer gamers a
cumulative +1 circumstance bonus per
failed attack roll to the warhammer s next
damage roll* The warhammer resets for
each new r wielder but remembers a past
wielder s performance indefinitely.

Moderate necromancy; CL 6th; Craft
Magic Arms and Armor, blindness/deafness;
Price 18,000 gp; Weight 5 lb* S’

HAMMER OF SKILL

The hammer of skill is a legend from an era
long past* Created by dwarven craftsmen
before the race had mastered the crafting
of metal, this misshaped, unadorned pig
iron hammer is an eyesore at best. Yet in
the hands of a competent warrior, die ham¬
mer pushes the wielder to new heights of
skill and faculty as it forces its wielder to
improve at all costs.

Agustinius was a great general known
for his brilliant and inspiring speeches
before battle. On the eve of what would
have been his ultimate victory, he gallantly
rode up and down the line, inspiring his
troops* Yet something went wrong. His
words rang hollow, and fear crept into his
soldiers 1 souls. By the time of the enemy's
advance, Agustinius's army was in full
retreat, and the war was lost.

This +2 banded mail grants its wearer
the ability to inspire courage once per day
as an 8th level bard* To activate the ability,
the wearer must use a full-round

action to give an inspiring
speech. The ability lasts for as

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HEROIC FEATS

by Nick Simmonds

RACIAL FEATS

B eings of the same race have a
bewildering variety of body types,
appearances, and abilities* Most
of these variations fit within the D&D
definition of that being's race, but some
are well outside the standard. How can
you, as a player, account for the vast
differences among members of your
character's race?

Racial feats.

Racial feats alter a character's
racial characteristics. They create
a creature different from others of
her kind. They alter racial bonuses
and penalties, or create them where
they do not exist. In many cases,
they make deeper changes to your
character as well.

A character may only have one racial
feat, and it must be selected at 1st level.
Fighters cannot use their fighter bonus
feat at 1st level to gain a racial feat.

HUMAN BLOOD [RACIAL]

Your humanity dominates your ancestry.

Prerequisites: Partial human
ancestry (such as half-elf or half-ore),
must be taken at 1st level.

Benefit: You gain +1 skill point at
1st level and every level thereafter.

For all effects relating to race, you are
considered a human*

IAAATE MACK [RACIAL]

You can cast a minor spell

Prerequisites: Int 3, Cha 11, must be
taken at 1st level
Benefit: Select a 0-level spell You
gain the spell-like ability' to cast this
spell once per day. Caster level 1st: save
DC 10 + Cha modifier*

DRAGON 32A October 2004

[LEADER [RACIAL]

You are slim for your race.

Prerequisite: Must be taken at 1st level
Benefit: You gain a +1 racial bonus
on Disable Device, Escape Artist Move
Silently and Tumble checks. Decrease
your weight by 10%.

[LOW MATURATION [RACIAL]

Your body ages slower and you retain
your youthful outlook on life longer
than others of your race*

Prerequisites: Must be taken at 1st
level must be younger than middle age.

Benefit: It takes you 50% longer than
normal for your race to reach the next
age category.

HOCKY [RACIAL!

You have a thicker, stouter body than
normal for your race*

Prerequisite: Must be taken at 1st level
Benefit: You gain a +4 bonus on
ability checks made to resist being
bull rushed or tripped when standing
on the ground. This bonus stacks
with dwarven stability. Increase your
weight by 10%,

SUPERIOR AERRIAC [RACIAL]

You can discern even the finest
differences in sounds, giving you an
exacting ear.

Prerequisite: Must be taken at 1st level.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on
Listen checks and on Perform
(keyboard instruments), Perform
(percussion instruments), Perform
(string! nstr u men ts), Per fo rm
(wind instruments), and Perform
(sing) checks.

SUPERIOR [EASE OF SMELL [RACIAL]

Your sensitive nose can detect even the
most minute oders.

Prerequisite: Must be taken at 1st level.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on
Craft (alchemy) and Heal checks, and a
+2 bonus on Survival checks*

SUPERIOR TASTE [RACIAL]

You have a heightened sense of taste*
Prerequisite: Must be taken at 1st level.
Benefit: You gain a +3 bonus on
Spellcraft checks made to identify a
potion and a +3 bonus on Fortitude
saves to resist the effects of an
ingested poison,

SUPERIOR TOUCH [RHCIAL1

You feel every imperfection in even
the smoothest texture, and your skin
senses the slightest vibration.

Prerequisite: Must be taken at 1st level.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on
Disable Device, Open Lock, and
Sleight of Hand checks* In addition*
you gain a +2 bonus on Spot checks
made to pinpoint the location of an
invisible creature*

SUPERIOR VISION [RACIAL!

Your eyesight is truly extraordinary.
Prerequisite: Must be taken at 1st level.
Benefit: You gain low-light vision*

If you already have low-light vision,
you can now see three times as far
as a human in conditions of poor
illumination.

Normal: A character with low-light
vision can see twice as far as a human in
conditions of poor illumination. 2

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GAINING PRESTIGE

by Scott Fitzgerald Cray
illustrated by Andrew Hou

DRAGON 324 October 2004

THE SWORN SLAYER

I n a world where combat prowess
and oaths of loyalty are the measure
of many heroes, the sworn slayer
stands out as an unstoppable engine of
vengeance and destruction—a dedicated
hunter of the world's most feared
and fearsome creatures. Choosing to
foreswear all other mortal motivations,
a sworn slayer pledges a lifelong oath
of enmity against a specific kind of
creatine. He follows a path that can
lead as easily to an outcast's life on the
fringes of society as it can to a hero’s
legacy, standing tall in society's defense.

From the jaded undead hunter
bearing his many hunts' scars—of
both body and soul—to the easygoing
giant hunter full of youth and hubris,
the sworn slayer class accepts any who
wish to protect the helpless masses.

No organization or brotherhood links
sworn slayers, and many prefer working
alone or with companions who aren't
sworn slayers themselves. Competitions
between sworn slayers oathbound
to destroy the same kind of creature
rarely result iti friendly rivalries: the
unquenchable need of sworn slayers
to bring ruin upon the creatures they
hate sometimes make them oppose
each other as much as those they truly
seek to destroy Swom slayers whisper
stories of sabotaged ambushes and
capture at die hands of those who
fight the same creatures they do. A
swom slayer never takes apprentices
and never teaches others his secrets;
he learns his techniques the hard way.
Times are changing among the swom
slayers, though, and newer members of
the class band together in order to bring
down bigger, tougher foes.

Sworn slayers come from those who
have suffered a great loss at the hands
of the creatures they seek to destroy

This vengeful aspect of the sworn slayer
comes from the death of a loved one
or the utter destruction of the sworn
slayer's home. Clerics, monks, and
paladins might come to the class after
witnessing the destruction of their
monastery or temple. A druid or ranger
might swear an oath to annihilate a race
of monsters that ravaged his beloved
forest, grove, or oasis. The loss need not
result in death or poverty, but it must be
severe and its effects long felt.

Although their origins are as varied
as the creatures they pledge their lives
to destroy, all swom slayers share one
trait: a willingness to abandon all other
precepts, callings, and pursuits in the
name of retribution. With a lifestyle
devoted to the destruction of perilous
foes, the warrior classes tend to fill
the ranks of the sworn slayers , as they
most easily achieve its requirements.

Rangers and paladins find the swom
slayer's single-minded purpose a natural
extension of their own dedication and
moral duty Fighters also excel as swom
slayers, finding a focus for the full
destructive capability of their combat
ability. Since a ranger's favored enemy
bonuses provide a solid foundation on
which to strengthen the sworn slayer's
own abilities, characters driven to seek
the path of the swom slayer often take
levels of ranger (with an appropriate
favored enemy). Paladin swom slayers
typically choose those monster kinds
devoted to evil or that oppose the
tenets of their faith: intelligent undead,
demons, and devils. To make use of
their inherent ability to detect the
presence of evil, such sworn slayers
almost never choose creatures that
typically have a neutral alignment.

Members of other classes sometimes
become sworn slayers, as the trials and

risks of an adventurer's life make it all
too easy for any character to find himself
consumed by the hatred that fuels the
swom slayer's oath. The special abilities
of rogues, monks, and clerics make
them formidable swom slayers against
certain creature types, although clerics
and monks sometimes find it difficult to
balance the dedication of their original
calling with the focus required to follow

the path of the sworn slayer. U
and sorcerers can make devast

Wizards

ating

REQUIREMENTS

hit '

Olr'i'

To qualify to become a sworn «
slayer, a character must fulfill

all the following criteria.

Base Attach Bonus: +6.

Shills: Knowledge {appropriate to creature
type} 4 ranks, Sense Motive 4 ranks.

Special: Must swear a vow to destroy all
creatures of a chosen kind. This vow must
be In response to the character suffering
a great loss at the daws of the chosen
creature kind A great loss might indude
the death of a loved one, the loss of all
material wealth, the destruction of a prized
family heirloom, or something similar.

The Knowledge skill requirement of a
character who wishes to become a sworn
slayer depends upon the creature type
that he wishes to slay (see the P/oyer's
Handbook, page 78). For example, a
character who wishes to slay beholders
must have at least 4 ranks in Knowledge
(d ungeo nee ring), which covers knowledge
pertaining to aberrations.

CLASS SKILLS

The sworn slayer's dass skills (and the key
ability for each skill) are Bluff (Chaj, Gather
Information (Cha), Knowledge (appropriate
to creature type) (tut), Listen (Wis), Move
Silently (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive
(Wis), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis).

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 -h int
modifier.

October 2004 DRAGON 324

GAINING PRESTIGE

THE SWORN SLAYER

Base

Attack

Fort

Ref

Wilt

Level Bonus

Save

Special

j 1st +1

Sworn foe +1

2nd +2

Animosity+3, determination +2

3rd +3

Nemesis, sworn foe +2

4 th +4

Animosity +5, determination +4

5th +5

Sworn foe +3, slayer attack

representatives of the class, their arcane
strength acting as a potent weapon in a
sworn slayer 1 s dedicated hands.

NPC sworn slayers might appear
in virtually any setting and situation
and are as often found in isolation
(such as the solitary renegade slaying
aberrations in desolate ruins) as in the
thick of civilization (such as troops
of wererat-hunting sworn slayers
heroically defending the sewers of
massive cities),

m FEATURES

All of the following are features of the
sworn slayer prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency:
Sworn slayers are proficient with all
simple and martial weapons, with
all armor, and with shields (except
tower shields).

Sworn Foe (Ex): At 1st level, the sworn
slayer dedicates his life to the destruction
of creatures of a specific type, gaining
a specialized bonus against those
creatures. The sworn slayer chooses
a monster type (such as aberration,
humanoid, or imdead). Against creatures
of his chosen type, he gains a +1 bonus
on Bluff, listen, Move Silently, Sense
Motive, Spot, and Survival checks, as
well as weapon damage rolls. This bonus
stacks with those from a ranger's favored
enemy ability

This bonus increases to +2 at 3rd
level and to +3 at 5th level.

Animosity (Su): At 2nd level, the
sworn slayer can choose to focus
his anger and hatred on a particular
kind of creature. The sworn slayer
chooses a specific monster kind
from among those of his sworn foe
type. For example, if a sworn slayer
chose undead as his sworn foe type,
he might choose lich, mummy, or

vampire (or any other creature with
the undead type) as the target of his
animosity. Against this specific kind
of creature, the sworn slayer gains an
additional +3 bonus on Bluff, Listen,
Move Silently, Sense Motive, Spot,
and Survival checks. He also gains
an additional +3 bonus on weapon
damage rolls* This bonus stacks with
the bonus from his sworn foe ability
as well as any favored enemy bonuses
from ranger levels.

At 4th level, this bonus increases to +5.

Determination (Ex): Also at 2nd
level, the sworn slayer gains a +2
bonus on all saving throws against
the special attacks, spells, and spelL
like abilities of creatures of his sworn
foe type.

At 4th level., this bonus increases to +4.

Nemesis (Su): At 3rd level, the sworn
slayer gains the Nemesis feat (see
sidebar) even if he does not meet all
of its prerequisites* The sworn slayer
senses his sworn foe rather than a
favored enemy.

Slayer Attack (Su): At 5th level, the
sworn slayer gains the ability to study
a particular creature of his sworn
foe's kind in order to kill or destroy
it with a single attack. If the sworn
slayer studies his foe for 3 rounds
and then makes a single attack with
a melee weapon or a ranged weapon
within 30 feet that successfully deals
damage, the attack has the additional
effect of possibly killing (if alive) or
destroying (if a construct or undead)
the target* While studying his foe,
the sworn slayer can undertake other
actions so long as his attention stays
focused on the target and the target
does not detect the sworn slayer
or recognize him as an enemy* If
the victim of such an attack fails a

EXALTED FEATS

Exalted feats as presented in the Book
of Exalted Deeds have the prerequisite
that "only intelligent creatures of
good alignment and the highest moral
standards can acquire exalted feats, and
only as a gift from powerful agents of
good" All exalted Feats are supernatural,

A character with at least one exalted feat
radiates an aura of good with a power
equal to his character level

Nemesis [Exalted]

You are the holy bane of creatures of a
particular type.

Prerequisite; Favored enemy class
ability.

Benefit Choose one of your favored
enemies. You can sense the presence of
creatures of this type within 60 feet, as well
as pinpoint their exact location (distance
and direction) relative to you. Normal
barriers and obstructions do not block this
supernatural ability, allowing you to sense
the presence and location of creatures
behind doors or walls, for example.

This ability does not allow you to see an
invisible or hidden creature (although you
can still discern its location).

In addition to sensing the presence of
your favored enemy, you deal +ld6 points
of damage on weapon attack rolls made
against evil representatives of the favored
enemy creature type.

Special; You can choose this feat
multiple times. Its effects do not stack*
Each time you select this feat, it applies to
a different favored enemy.

For neutral or evil sworn slayers, the
granted bonus feat loses its exalted
feat status and becomes a regular feat.
Nongood sworn slayers do not radiate an
aura of good*

Fortitude save (DC 10 + the sworn
slayer's class level + the sworn slayer's
tut modifier) against the slayer attack,
it dies (if alwe) or Is destroyed (if a
construct or undead). If the victim's
saving throw succeeds, the attack is
just a normal attack. Once the sworn
slayer has completed the 3 rounds of
study, he must make the slayer attack
within next 3 rounds. If the sworn
slayer attempts a slayer attack and it
fails (the victim makes its save) or if
the sworn slayer does not launch the
attack within 3 rounds of completing
the study, 3 new rounds of study
are required before he can attempt
another slayer attack. 2

DRAGON 324 October 2004

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GRIPPLI

C rippli resemble small, intelligent, humanoid tree frogs.
Primitive and largely peaceful, grippli lead a simple
existence. Living off the bounty of the swamps and
rainforests they inhabit, they spend their days hunting
insects and gathering fruit. Warlike races that neighbor
grippli settlements soon learn to avoid them as, although
they rarely attack anything but insects, the grippli prove
effective and mobile defenders of their homes and keep few
possessions worth the risk of pillaging.

Grippli live in isolated family groups, clustered into loose
villages led by an elder priestess known as the tribe mother.
These families tend to be small, as the long-lived grippli pro¬
duce few offspring. Grippli devoutly follow the decisions of
the tribe mother. In theory, this elder priestess holds divinely
granted power over her village. In practice, she rarely exerts
that power, leaving the day-to-day leadership of the tribe to
its most experienced hunters, often elder males. Grippli
tribes require little governance in any case, each family mak¬
ing most of its own decisions, barring religious matters and
a village-wide crisis or dispute.

Few grippli apply themselves as craftsmen or artisans.
Simple wood, stone, and vine creations make up the major¬
ity of the weapons grippli use in hunting and defense, while
they pass rare metal weapons and tools down through the
generations as treasured heirlooms. Grippli rarely fashion
even the simplest trade goods and more rarely do their spell-
casters craft complex magic items, although potions, alchem¬
ical creations, and herbal tinctures are quite common.

Unscrupulous traders sometimes take advantage of the
grippli, selling them worthless baubles in return for rare and

valuable herbs, unguents, and extracts from the deep jungle.
The grippli don't see themselves as getting taken advan¬
tage of, though. They understand the value outsiders place
on their purchases, but they in turn prize brightly colored
curios. Polished quartz, vibrantly dyed cloths, colored glass,
and eclectic collections of foreign signs brighten the majority
of grippli homes.

Besides the rare trader, the grippli deal only with the
insects they hunt and the giant snakes and spiders that
hunt them. Such giants seem to favor the taste of grippli
flesh and frequently attack grippli communities. Lizard-
folk and kuo-toa also sometimes hunt grippli, although
both races have strict taboos against eating the smaller
humanoids' flesh. The enmity between these races seems
to date to their distant pasts, perhaps even to some conflict
between their gods.

The origins and history of the grippli are shrouded in
mystery, even to themselves. As grippli do not keep records,
except for those relevant to their worship, their past remains
a subject of conjecture and guesswork. The prevailing theory
holds that grippli exist now much as always, a humble race of
peaceful recluses content with what the land provides and the
world they know. This surprising peacefulness seems to stem
from their simple faith in their nameless froglike goddess.
With the land providing them all they need and a faith to fur¬
ther content their modest lives, the grippli have had little need
to change over the centuries.

Personality: In the presence of strangers, grippli become
noticeably skittish. They usually climb the nearest tree and
hide upon spotting other humanoids or any other creature

DRAGON 324 October 2004

deemed dangerous. Among their own
kind or those they accept as friends,
grippli show their true character.
Light-hearted and cheerful, they value
familial bonds and the simple plea¬
sures of food, games, rest, and shiny
objects from the outside world. Other
humanoids sometimes perceive relaxed
grippli as blase, even lazy, but a relaxed
grippli might snap to full alertness at a
moment's notice.

Although reluctant warriors, grippli
are far from cowardly or inept in com¬
bat. When forced to fight, they do so
cunningly and viciously, leaving surviv¬
ing assailants with no doubt about the
danger of attacking again. Thus, tales of
grippli fighting ability keeps them safe
from most of their enemies, as the latter
consider an assault upon the grippli's
secluded homes not worth the risk,
assuming they can find the grippli in
the first place.

Physical Description: A typical grip¬
pli stands 2 to 2-1/2 feet tall and weighs
approximately 30 lbs, although the very
old and particularly powerful hunters
might stand and weigh twice that. A
grippli's head and body appear similar
to those of a giant frog, but its hands

and feet look humanlike. Grippli skin
color varies dramatically depending
on their environment, ranging from
the brown-splotched green of swamp
grippli to vibrant blues, yellows, and
reds of rainforest-dwelling tribes, Grip¬
pli rarely wear clothing, although they
often decorate themselves with jewelry
and trinkets that members of most
other races consider gaudy.

Grippli reach adulthood at 30 years
and live to around 180 years old, while
females live slightly longer on average
than males* A female grippli gives birth
at most six times in her life, becoming
fertile at roughly 25-year-intervals after
she reaches maturity.

Relations: Grippli rarely interact
with outsiders, as they live in the
deepest regions of the wilds. If they
have any outside interaction, it is
with individuals of other races, and
almost never on the level of a societal
alliance* They sometimes abandon
their villages if other races begin set¬
tling too close.

When a grippli village does make
contact with other races, wild elves
or fey often serve as intermediaries,
as their strong connection to nature

makes the grippli more comfortable
around diem. However, a grippli's pur¬
pose for contacting the outside world
rarely has anything to do with nature,
as they enjoy strange inventions, mas-
terwork items, and other colorful and
shiny objects. As such, grippli some¬
times entreat their allies to seek out
colonies of gnomes to trade with.

Grippli find dwarves and humans
intimidating, too rarely encounter
haiflings to form an opinion, and
deeply fear anything that smells of ore,
half ores included* They similarly fear
giants and savage humanoids, particu¬
larly those who share their habitat.

Grippli Lands: Grippli inhabit deep
marshes and remote rainforests, both
since these areas hold the giant insects
they prey upon and keep them well
secluded* They construct small villages
either on the ground or in the branches
of large trees. Occasionally, a grippli
colony might take up residence in the
branches of an especially large treant
or make a floating community among a
marsh's dense river vegetation,

Grippli villages consist of simple
huts made from branches or reeds.
Most bear decorations, usually shiny

October 2Q04 DRAGON 324 |

WINNING RACES

objects, simple religious totems,
and woven flowering vines. Because
the grippli share their environs with
many larger, more dangerous crea¬
tures, their villages tend to be spread
out and semi-nomadic. If one area
suffers an attack, all the grippli in
the village take to the trees and flee
from branch to branch, leaving their
few valuables behind. Only when the
entire tribe is safely hidden do grippli
warriors return to their village to com¬
bat their attackers.

Hunting parties of grippli frequently
roam the lands near their homes,
although their elusive nature and habit of
traveling through the trees makes them
difficult to spot or track. These hunts
serve the dual purposes of scouting the
land for signs of intruders and bringing
back the massive insects grippli eat or
offer to their goddess. Swift, organized,
and quick to retreat when outmatched,
grippli hunting parties rarely come to
harm or even conflict in the deadliest
parts of their tangled homes.

Powerful predators, especially green
dragons, sometimes enslave whole
tribes of grippli. Such grippli usually
accept their fate, as their master’s
protection provides a more formidable
defense than any they could maintain.
Only when shackled by an especially
cruel overlord do grippli make any
attempt to overthrow the creature or
escape its domination.

Alignment: Their ties to nature and
xenophobic tendencies cause grippli to
tend toward neutral alignments. Pre¬
disposed to simple, relaxed lives with
friends and family, the best grippli
seem generous and helpful, while the
worst merely seem indifferent. Thus,
if a grippli deviates from a purely neu¬
tral alignment, it’s usually in favor of
good, and only after the most tragic
incidents toward evil.

Religion: Grippli hold strong reli¬
gious beliefs, although they rarely
explain their faith to outsiders. Their
chief deity is a nameless goddess,
depicted in sculptures of wood and
stone as a bulbous frog with vibrant
rainbow skin. Most outsiders believe
this amphibian deity to be nothing
more than some strange, primordial

forest spirit, but grippli revere her as
the center of their religious lives.

More often druids than clerics,
females almost exclusively comprise
the grippli clergy. Led by a commu¬
nity’s tribe mother, these priestesses
make most of the decisions and solve
the disputes of the tribe, although
they defer to the tribe mother in all
matters. Like a stern grandmother, the
tribe mother holds absolute author¬
ity over the community and speaks
as the voice of the goddess herself.
Although she always keeps the best
intentions of her people in mind, the
tribe mother holds many secrets of
her people's faith, which she reveals
only to her proteg^ and only when the
time of her death nears. The few grip¬
pli clerics that exist most often serve
abstract natural powers rather than
the grippli goddess.

Grippli accord seasonal and celestial
events great religious significance and
mark them with elaborate religious
celebrations that all tribe members par¬
ticipate in. These frequent festivals and
general racial levity make it seem that
grippli celebrate frivolously, but they
truly consider each event worth com¬
memorating. These festivals always cul¬
minate in large ceremonies and offer¬
ings to the grippli goddess. To outsiders,
these ceremonies seem unusually
extravagant as mountains of insect flesh,
often enough to feed an entire grippli
community for a season, are mixed with
a strange pulpy paste and burnt as mas¬
sive offerings. Although no visitor, and
perhaps no grippli but the tribe mother,
knows what this holy unguent consists
of, preparations of all offerings include
liberal treatment with this mixture.

Grippli don’t keep their ritual cel¬
ebrations secret from other races—
indeed, the arrival of fey visitors
ranks high among their reasons to
celebrate. Unfortunately, most outsid¬
ers cannot physically participate in
these revels, which consist primarily
of climbing, swimming, and tree-hop¬
ping competitions and amphibian¬
voiced songs.

In a dark undertone to peaceful
grippli life, some sages postulate
that the grippli’s nameless goddess

might disguise an ancient aspect of
Blibdoolpoolp, goddess of the kuo-
toa. If so, the aspect venerated by the
grippli presents itself as a far more
peaceful one, although there might
lurk some more sinister aspect to
their worship than the grippli allow
outsiders to witness. Spider and
snake creatures round out the grippli
religion as demons and evil spirits.

The few grippli who know of the
deities of other races consider the
spidery drow goddess Lolth the chief
enemy of their people, but she and
her followers pay the grippli little, if
any, heed. Each grippli village also
venerates legendary hunters and
priestesses, but none of these mythic
figures transcend the boundaries of
individual tribes.

Language: Throaty and guttural,
grippli language consists of a wide
range of croaks and rumbling words,
all of which sound roughly the same to
other humanoids. Although other races
might learn the grippli language, they
cannot truly master it without the aid of
magic. The common grippli knows no
written language, although the priest¬
esses of a community know and read
Undercommon. Writing, however, is
strictly taboo and only the tribe mother
may create any record.

Names: Grippli receive no sur¬
names, although those who travel
extensively often pick up nicknames
from other races. These nicknames
sometimes reflect an individual gripp-
li's abilities or personality. More often
than not, these nicknames reflect the
other humanoids' notions of grippli
as sharing traits with non-humanoid
amphibians. Grippli do not place
much importance on names, as they
identify each other more by sight than
by words. Many struggle to remember
the names of non-grippli but have no
trouble differentiating between indi¬
viduals by other means.

Male Names: Brillup, Bullgup, Chirk,
Labllup. Quortle. Rublup, Willup.

Female Names: Bellum. Kaillum,
Que, Quon, Ruue, Toum, Wuon.

Nicknames: Buldgeeye, Deepcroak,
Duskskipper, Ponddiver, Tonguesticker.
Treeskipper, Widefingers.

DRAGON 324 October 2004

Adventurers: Survivors of devastated
grippli villages most often become
adventurers. Having lost their origi¬
nal tribes, they wander to find new
meaning and are forced to overcome
their fears of the outside world. Other
grippli rarely take to life on the road.
Those who do earn their keep with
their agility, climbing ability, wilder¬
ness expertise, and in some cases, with
their willingness to accept payment
that other adventurers would consider
beneath notice,

Occasionally, a young grippli might
become taken with the shiny baubles of
the outside world and go adventuring
in search of more. If he survives, such
a grippli usually retires to his village
at a relatively young age, as he is moti¬
vated more by wanderlust and curiosity
than by greed.

GRIPPLI RACIAL TRflin

■ +2 Dexterity, -2 Strength: Grippli
are nimble and quick, but slight
Well adjusted to darting through
trees and lurking in the underbrush,
grippli avoid direct confrontation
and exertion*

* Small: As a Small creature, a
grippli gains a +1 size bonus to
Armor Class, a size bonus on
attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus
on Hide checks, but he uses
smaller weapons than humans
use, and his lifting and carrying
limits are three-quarters of those
of a Medium character.

- Grippli base land speed is 20 feet

* Grippli have a climb speed of 20
feet granting them the usual +S
racial bonus on Climb checks.

* Low-Light Vision: A grippli can
see twice as far as a human in
starlight, moonlight, torchlight,
and similar conditions of poor illu¬
mination. He retains the ability to
distinguish color and detail under
these conditions.

- Weapon Familiarity: Grippli treat
bolas and nets as martial weapons
rather than exotic weapons.

* +1 racial bonus on attack rolls
against vermin: Grippli are trained
to hunt insects of all sizes as they
are their food of choice.

• +4 dodge bonus to Armor Class
against monsters of the animal and
vermin types: This bonus represents
special training grippli undergo
while on the hunt, learning tech¬
niques that allow them to avoid the
attacks of a variety of natural preda¬
tors, Any time a creature loses its
Dexterity bonus (if any) to Armor
Class, such as when it's caught flat-
footed, it loses its dodge bonus, too.
The Monster Manual has informa¬
tion on which creatures are of the
animal and vermin types.

• +2 racial bonus on saving throws
against poison: Although not them¬
selves poisonous, grippli have a
high resistance against toxins.

• +4 racial bonus on Jump checks:
Grippli are natural leapers, often
jumping from tree to tree. In addi¬
tion, grippli treat all Jump checks as
though they have a running start,

• +2 racial bonus on Move Silently
checks; Grippli are taught from a
young age how to slink through
their verdant homes and avoid
detection by predators,

• Illiterate: Grippli, even wizards, can¬
not read or write without devoting
skill points to languages. A grippli
of any class can learn to read and
write one of his starting languages
by devoting a single skill point to

it Otherwise grippli gain the use of
languages—speaking, reading, and
writing—as normal for their class.

* Automatic Languages: Common
and Grippli. Bonus Languages:
Aquan, Elven, Gnome, Halfling,
Sylvan, and Undercommon. Grippli
often learn the languages of the few
races they comfortably deal with.

- Favored Class: Ranger. A multidass
grippU's ranger class does not count
when determining whether he suf¬
fers an experience point penalty. 2

GRIPPLI,

BELIEVE IT OR NOT

The first grippli appeared in Dungeons
& Dragons twenty-one years ago on
the third page of the Monster Manual ll r
roasting a marshmallow over a magman r s
head. Debuting along with other new
monsters such as abolefhs, modrons,
and the tarrasque, the original grippli
benefited from a host of psionic abilities.
Making later appearances in the Mon¬
strous Compendium Greyhawk Adventures
Append^, the Mystara Monstrous Appendix,
and the second edition Monstrous Manual.
these more recent descriptions removed
their predecessor's host of psionic pow¬
ers. Although most grippli have long since
lost these abilities, members of rare and
especially secluded grippli communities
might still posses such powers. However,
these throwbacks rely upon their psionic
powers far more than their physical hunt¬
ing skills, and thus let such physical tal¬
ents atrophy. If you wish to present grippli
as an innately psionic race, they lose their
+1 bonus on attack rolls against vermin.
Replace this ability with the Wild Talent
feat from the Expanded Psionics Handbook.

GRIPPLI vital statistics

Random Starting Ages

Bard

Cleric

Barbarian

Fighter

Druid

Rogue

Paladin

Monk

Adulthood

Sorcerer

Ranger

Wizard

30 years

+2dG

+4d6

+6d6

Aging Effects

Middle Age

Old

Venerable

Maximum Age

70 years

105 years

140 years

+4d20 years

Random Height and

Weight

Base

Height

Base

Weight

Gender

Height

Modifier

Weight

Modifier

Male

+2d4

20 lb*

xl lb,

Female

+2dS

IS lb.

xl lb.

October 2004 DRAGON 324

CLASS ACTS

by Mike McArtor

FROM BATTLEGROUND
TO BACKGROUND

M any players like to give their characters
back stories—histories of what happened
in their characters' lives before the start
of the campaign. Yet, some players find it
difficult to create a character background,
while others might just need a couple more
events to round out an otherwise thorough
history when writer's block hits.

The suggestions that follow might help you
create a more exciting character history. While
designed for fighters, some of these options
could just as easily be used by characters
of other classes. Note that every' event has
a small benefit attached to it that your DM
might permit. If none of these ideas suit your
character or specific campaign, feel free to alter
them and apply comparable benefits if allowed.

Burnt of n thoutrnd banners

Witness to the massive, multi-army conflict
later called the Battle of a Thousand Banners,
you discovered at a young age a love for the
intricacies of heraldry. Virtually every known
lord had a representative standard that day.
making the battlefield come alive with vibrant
colors. While too young to participate in the
fighting, you stayed just behind the front lines
in order to collect the banners of fallen lords.

Suggested Benefit: As a result of the sheer
number of banners you saw and collected*
you now receive a +1 bonus on all Knowledge
(nobility and royalty) checks,

CNOll BASHING

During the great hunting expedition meant
to dear gnolls from the king’s forests, you
worked as a page to a great knight. The knight
slew many gnolls and taught you about their
habits, anatomy, and culture before die great
campaign wound down.

Suggested Benefit: As a result of months of
careful tutoring concerning the behavior of
gnolls and other humanoids, you now receive
a +1 bonus on Knowledge (local) checks
made concerning humanoids.

HILLOCK CHARGE

You were present for the decisive charge
one phalanx of your army made against a
heavily defended hillock. Most of your fellow
soldiers attempting to ascend the hilt were
slaughtered and served no greater purpose
than to make the ground more treacherous
for their comrades. At the end of the day,
however, your army controlled the hillock,
and your phalanx was pressed into service to
bury the rotting corpses.

Suggested Benefit: Asa result of your long¬
term exposure to dead bodies, you now receive
a +1 bonus on Fortitude saves made to resist
contracting the diseases filth fever and red ache.

LUST STAND ON BEACON Hill

When the last great incursion of ores
threatened the peaceful lands near your home,
you helped protect a watchtower on a small
rise. For five days and four nights, with barely
anything to eat, you and a small group of fellow
soldiers held the tower against the ore threat
before reinforcements arrived to drive them off.

Suggested Benefit: Your time in the Beacon
Hill watchtower showed you that you could
survive relatively long periods of time without
proper water or food, granting you a +1 bonus
on Constitution checks made to stave off the
effects of starvation and thirst,

THE QUEEN'S MURDERER

When the last queen died at the hand of her
king's mistress, you worked as a guard in the
king's stables. The mistress fled the palace,
one step ahead of her pursuers, and found
you in the stables guarding the king's many
horses. In a hurry but reluctant to say why,
the mistress attempted to distract you as she
pulled her dagger. Not fooled by her lies* you
caught her wrist and disarmed her.

Suggested Benefit: Your encounter with the
lying mistress taught you to be wary of a foe in
combat, granting you a +1 bonus on any Sense
Motive check made to counter a feint.

DRAGON 324 October 2004

by Mike McArtor

PEACE OAT

O f all the core classes, clerics lose the least
by taking on the mantle of pacifism.

A pacifist cleric can use all of his
normal cleric abilities without limitation or
modification, although he must carefully
choose his domains and spells. He can wear
the heaviest armor, turn undead, use domain
abilities, and cast the majority of his spells;
the only class ability not frequently utilized by
a pacifist cleric is the cleric's proficiency with
simple weapons. Every other class loses more
of its functionality and appeal by taking up the
life of a pacifist.

Depending on the campaign, playing a
pacifist cleric might prove quite challenging.

In campaigns where combat dominates every
session, the player who willingly takes on
roleplaying a pacifist cleric faces the very real
possibility of boredom. The Book of Exalted
Deeds provides rules, in the form of exalted
feats, that grant game-mechanic bonuses to
characters who eschew the way of violence.
Vow of Nonviolence increases saving throw'
DCs for spells that deal no damage (spells
that deal nonlethal damage also fall under
this feat's benefit). Vow of Peace surrounds
the character with an aura of peace and grants
him a deflection bonus to AC. The benefits of
these feats disappear (and rhe feats become
wasted) if the character harms a living creature
in any way (except nonlethal damage).

As the cleric class's most recognizable
form of customization, domains remain the

easiest way to show that the clerk practices
the path of peace. Certain domains lend
themselves to a peaceful way of life, as their
granted powers and domain spell lists have
no damaging effects: Animal, Healing,
Knowledge, Luck, Magic, Protection, Travel,
and Trickery. Other domains have granted
powers that can harm or destroy certain types
of creatures, or have one or two damaging
spells on their domain lists: Air, Earth, Fire,
Plant, and Water

Pacifist clerics lose the use of only a handful
of spells. The more extreme the pacifist's views,
though, the more spells he must give up. Some
cleric spells the pacifist should avoid directly
deal damage, while others only aid the cleric’s
attack and damage rolls. The accompanying
table shows the spells that a cleric truly devoted
to the path of peace should not cast. 2

WHAT IS PACIFISM?

In the strictest definition, pacifism means
opposition to war and violence. In D&D, a
character who refuses to ever make an attack roll
or cast a spell that causes direct damage (whether
normal or nonfethal damage, ability score damage,
or bestowing negative levels) practices the strictest
definition of pacifism. Other forms of pacifism
exist, such as not attacking living creatures,
attacking only to subdue (by only dealing nonlethal
damage), or in the most extreme form, attempting
to stop allies from attacking to kill as well.

NON-PACIFIST SPELLS

Level Spell
0 Inflict minor wounds

1st Divine favor, inflict tight wounds, magic stone, summon monster 1*

2nd Death knelt, inflict moderate w rounds, summon monster it*

3rd Bestow curse**, blindnessfdeiifhess**, glyph of warding*, inflict serious wounds, searing tight, summon
monster it\*

4th Divine power, inflict critical wounds, poison, summon monster IV*

5th Flame strike; inflict tight wounds t mass; insect plague*; righteous might; slay living; summon monster V*

6th Blade barrier*; glyph of warding, greater, harm; inflict moderate wounds, moss; summon monster VI*

7 th Blasphemy; destruction; dictum; holy word ; inflict serious wounds, mass; summon monster Vi I*; word of chaos
8th Fire storm ; inflict critical wounds, mass; summon monster VI It*; symbol of death*; symbol of insanity**

9th Energy drain, implosion, storm of vengeance, summon monster IX*

*These spells deal damage indirectly, by summoning or creating creatures or spell effects for the cleric. The
various summon monster spells can provide other uses, but for the most part, the strict definition of pacifism
disallows these spells,

**These spells cause harm not measured by hit points.

October 2004 DRAGON 324

CLASS ACTS

by Paul Leach

OPTIONAL (LAS: FILIDH

H ighly respected lawgivers of barbarian
society filidhs draw their power from
their knowledge and application of
lore. They provide judgments in legal
disputes and defend their people using
the mysterious ways of their ancestors. If
shamans are the conscience of the tribe
and skalds its memory, then filidhs are its
unshakable will.

The filidh is a variant wizard. Unless
otherwise noted, a filidh advances in the
same manner as a wizard (same Hit Die,
base attack bonus, saving throw bonuses,
skill points, and so on). When a character
elects to take a level of wizard or filidh, he
may not later take levels in the other class.

This prevents the character from gaining the
benefits of a Istdevel wizard twice.

Filidhs seek to preserve the beliefs of their
tribe* As enforcers of ancestral traditions,
they seek out magical power to increase their
knowledge and strengthen their position
within the tribe. These barbaric lore keepers
tend toward neutral alignments, although
both lawful and chaotic societies have
traditions filidhs might seek to uphold. To
aid them, most filidhs typically devote a
significant number of spells to divination,
balancing them with other offensive or
supporting spells. These tribal wizards
equate knowledge with power and carefully
dispense their learning to a select few. They
tend to play subtle but domineering roles
in any group, even if they do not obviously
lead it, Many filidhs associate with religious
orders or druids as they often hold similar
perspectives and goals.

Devout and spiritual beyond most
traditional wizards, filidhs usually worship
gods of knowledge, magic, poetry, or travel.
They also highly respect and might worship
creator gods, as they are usually credited with
teaching laws to the first mortals. Other filidhs
worship nature gods and explore the secrets of
both the natural and the unseen world,

CLASS SAULS

The filidh s class shills {and the key ability for
each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int),

Decipher Script (lnt), Gather Information
(Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all skills,
taken individually) (Int), Sense Motive (Wis),
Spellcraft (Int), and Survival (Wis),

CLASS fERTURES

All of the following are class features of the filidh.

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies:

Filidhs are proficient with the club, dagger,
quarterstaff, and shortbow but not with
any type of armor or shield. Armor of any
type interferes with a filidhs movements,
which can cause her spells with somatic
components to fail.

Filidh Knowledge: This ability functions
as the bardic knowledge ability. A filidh with
levels in another class that grants bardic
knowledge stacks those levels with her filidh
levels when determining her total bonus to
bardic knowledge checks.

Greater Divining: A filidh is able to cast
divination spells as if her caster level was
+1 level higher at 5th level* This ability
increases to +2 levels higher at 10th level,
+3 levels higher at 15th level, and +4 levels
higher at 20th level*

No Familiar: A filidh cannot summon a
familiar* i?

FILIDH ADVANCEMENT

Level

Special

1st

Filidh knowledge

2nd

—

3rd

—

4rh

—

5th

Greater divining +1

6th

—

7th

—

Sth

_ —

9th

—

1.0th

Greater divining +2

nth

—

12th

—

13th

—

14th

15th

Greater divining +3

16th

— _ _

17th

—

1 Sth

_ —

19th

—

20th

Greater divining +4

DRAGON 324 October 2004

by Mike McArtor

D ROCHE Of A

imcoiOR

T he undisputed master of skill points, a rogue
can serve many different roles in a party
depending on what skills she chooses to
perfect. The theme and emphasis of a campaign
might also significantly affect where the rogue
puts her ranks. The following rogue archetypes
give examples of different roles a rogue might
play in the party, and each one offers advice for
skill and feat selections. As a general rule, all
rogues should put at least a few ranks in Hide,
Listen, Move Silently, Search, and Spot, as these
skills often prove the difference between life and
death, even for a specialized rogue.

Backroom Rogue: Some rogues prefer
the relatively safe life of operating holed up
in a hidden location, putting their trained
eye and steady hands to work. These rogues
often operate a mostly legitimate business
as a front for their more illicit activities, and
many become wealthy just from the income of
their honest proprietorship. Backroom rogues
find the following skills most useful when
maintained with the maximum ranks possible:
Appraise, Decipher Script, Disguise, Forgery,
Knowledge (local), Profession (merchant), and
Use Magic Device, Depending on the nature
of their business, they might wish to invest in
other skills as well These rogues prefer the
feats Deceitful, Diligent, and Skill Focus.

Scheming Rogue: Focusing on the cerebral
aspects of thievery and roguish behavior,
scheming rogues often work as advisors to
a succession of thieves' guild leaders. Their
keen intellects make them valuable assets,
while their analytical natures acknowledge the
relative safely of staying out of the limelight.
Scheming rogues make excellent masterminds,
plotting and concocting elaborate heists or
deadly games of political intrigue. In an
adventuring party, the scheming rogue watches
and listens, learning all he can about a situation
or dilemma before making his move or
offering his advice. Scheming rogues usually
max out their ranks in Listen, Search, and Spot,
as well as gaining in Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather

Information, Knowledge (local), and Sense
Motive. His feats should focus on those that
grant bonuses to his skills, such as investigator.
Negotiator, and Skill Focus.

Charming Rogue: This archetype focuses
on Charisma-based interpersonal skills
and fills many of the same roles as bards.
However, thanks to her sneak attack ability,
a charismatic rogue excels at winning over
a victim then murdering him when he
least expects an attack. Such rogues make
excellent diplomats, merchants, and spies. The
charming rogue focuses on Bluff, Diplomacy
Disguise, Gather Information, Intimidate,
Sense Motive, and Sleight of Hand, Her feat
selections should focus on those that grant
bonuses to her skills, especially Negotiator,
Persuasive, and Skill Focus.

Trapspringer: Dwarves and gnomes often
favor this type of rogue, as it focuses on
skills they already appreciate and excel at. A
trapspringer cares little about stealth and less
about negotiation, and instead keeps Climb,
Disable Device, Open Lock, Search. Sleight of
Hand, Spot, Use Magic Device, and Use Rope
at the highest rank possible. Craft (trapmaking),
Decipher Script, and Jump can also be useful.
Trapspringers often select Nimble Fingers at
1st level, but Lightning Reflexes and Toughness
also make excellent choices.

Warrior Rogue: Often multiclassing as
fighters or rangers, these battlers might take
on any role from thug to swashbuckler. Most
use their abilities to set up foes as targets for
their sneak attacks. The skills Balance, Climb,
Escape Artist Hide, Jump, Listen, Move
Silently, Spot, and Tumble often prove useful
for a warrior rogue. When multiclassing,
he should keep as many of his skills at the
maximum rank possible, which means that
such a character probably becomes quite good
at climbing and jumping. For feats, a warrior
rogue carit go wrong with Athletic, Dodge,

Point Blank Shot, Quick Draw, Rapid Reload,
or Weapon Finesse. *2

October 2004 DRAGON 324

CLASS ACTS

by Paul Leach

BARBARIAN CULTURE

ntegral extensions of barbarian families,
clans and tribes represent the most important
structures of many uncivilized cultures.
Kinfolk protect and censure other family
members and, in return, expect members to
avenge and repay any injustice committed
against their relatives. In the absence of
anything like law enforcement, family
protection and vengeance provides tribal
societies with a measure of internal peace.

TRIBE

Families make up the basic social units of tribal
cultures. Most often, several families that share
a common ancestor form an extended group or
dan. Tribes consist of groups of clans. A horde
or kingdom might form through the allegiance
or subjugation of several tribes to one powerful
tribe, but these political units vary in stability.

Tribal chieftains occupy the highest rank in
savage society, followed by dan patriarchs and
matriarchs. Other prominent tribe members
might indude craftsmen, entertainers, healers,
priests, professional warriors, and similar skilled
tribesmen. Free members of the tribe form the
largest class, These commoners might or might
not own land, but they do owe allegiance to a
chieftain. The definition of " free" varies widely,
but they typically have more rights than outright
slaves or those otherwise bound to service.

Slaves don't often constitute a large segment of a
barbarian population, but exceptions exist.

BHRBHRIflH SOCIETIES

Few barbarian societies are the same, even if
most of them share common values and social
structure. Climate and terrain significantly
influence savage sodeties, just as they do
civilized ones. Their choices of shelter, food,
and standard of living influence how they
choose to adapt to their natural environment.
The following examples detail the most
common types of barbarian societies.

Nomadic: Nomadic savages often live on
open plains and steppes that allow them to
maintain their large herds of cattle, horses,
sheep, and other herd animals. They move
from region to region with the changing
seasons and the needs of their animals.

Since nomads do not rely on harvests, they
readily move with their animals, often living
in wagons, tents, or other easily portable
shelters, although they might maintain solid
buildings and forts as winter quarters. Nomadic
cultures tend to produce excellent horsemen,
a frequently drawn-upon boon as they often
travel great distances to trade or raid.

Settled: Agriculture forms the basis of
these savages' food supply, although they also
hunt wild game. Settled savages often attain a
relatively high standard of living if they dwell in
lands with good soil and enough open space to
support crops and gl azing animals, A surplus
food supply allows specialists such as warriors,
priests, and craftsmen to devote their efforts to
professional pursuits instead of feeding the tribe.
Wilderness: Environments such as dense
forests or rugged mountains tend to restrict
the agricultural development of tribal sodeties
residing in such terrain. Hunting serves as die
primary source of food since a lack of land limits
a tribe's ability to grow crops or raise livestock.
The savages who live in these rugged terrains
often lead seminomadic lives, migrating to
previously abandoned settlements after they've
used up nearby meadows. Primitive even by
barbarian standards, many wilderness-dwelling
tribes must trade or barter for goods and
supplies they cannot produce themselves.

SflVflGE WARFARE

A preoccupation with batde is the most
notorious attribute of many savages. For many
tribes, war serves as a reflection of the honor,
courage, and ability of those who would wage
it. Elite warriors of the tribe view combat as a
sport and a necessary way to prove themselves.
Feuds and minor raids serve to test them, and
death is glorious if faced bravely.

Many savages, even those with good
alignments, raid the homes of their enemies.
While evil savages commit questionable acts
or outright atrocities, even good savages might
see nothing wrong with collecting the spoils or
tribute from a defeated enemy. Between these
extremes, neutral savages might adhere to social
customs or laws and take advantage of any
opportunity, regardless of moral compunction. 2

DRAGON 324 October 2004

by Richard Pocklington

FLAWS FOR DRUIDS

W hether your druid has a bestial taste
for the flesh of his foes, is terrified by
the idea of being surrounded by solid
dungeon walls, or prefers to cavort about free
of the encumbrances of civilization, playing a
druid provides all sorts of good opportunities to
act a little wild. Here is a selection of flaws like
those presented in Unearthed Arcana that can
help define your druids particular beliefs ...
although they might make your party members
wish they'd never agreed to enter the woods.

Flaws penalize a character in a specific way.
Most of these flaws have obvious roleplaying
consequences, but they also have game
mechanics penalties. The concept of flaws first
appeared in Unearthed Arcana, but you don't
need that book to use the flaws presented here.
A character may only take up to two flaws,
and they must be selected at 1st level. For
each flaw you take, your character may select
an additional feat. Thus, a 1st level human
character with two flaws may take four feats.

Although designed specifically with druids in
mind, other characters may select from these
flaws if they meet the appropriate prerequisites.

BESTIAL IHSTIHCT

You prefer to meet your foes so close that you
can smell their blood.

EfFect: You suffer a -2 penalty to hit while
using anything other than unarmed strikes or
natural weapons.

CITY SLICKER

Although interested in the natural world, you
suffer from a lack of experience in the wilds.
Prerequisite: Survival as a class skill.

Effect You suffer a -4 penalty on all Handle
Animal, Knowledge (nature), and Survival checks.

CLAUSTROPHOBIA

You are uncomfortable in enclosed spaces.

Effect: You become shaken while in any
space where you are within 10 feet of a wall
or other solid surface on 2 or more sides, or if
the ceiling is less than 10 feet above your head.
(Such as while walking down a 20-foot-wide
corridor or while you are in any room with a
10-foot-high ceiling.) Spells and effects that
remove fear do not remove this condition.

COLD-BLOODED

You were raised in the arctic and cannot
tolerate heat.

Effect: You automatically fail all Fortitude
saves made to overcome the effects of high
temperatures. Fire-based effects deal an
additional 2 points of fire damage to you.

FORLORN OF MEN

You are uncomfortable in the presence
of humanoids.

Effect: You become shaken if there is more
than one humanoid within 30 feet of you,
including members of your adventuring party
or other friends. Spells and effects that remove
fear do not remove this condition.

HOT-BLOODED

You were raised in the desert and cannot
tolerate cold.

Effect: You automatically fail all Fortitude
saves made to overcome the effects of low
temperatures. Cold-based effects deal an
additional 2 points of cold damage to you.

LOVE Of NATURE

You do not wish harm upon any
natural creature.

Effect: You must succeed at a DC 12 Will
save before you can attack any creature with
the animal, plant, or vermin type, or you lose
your action. Note that animals, plants, and
vermin may attack you without penalty.

METRE INTOLERANCE

You are allergic to metals.

Effect: You suffer an additional point of
damage when struck by metal weapons. The
natural attacks of inevitables, iron golems, and
other creatures composed of metal also deal
this additional damage.

NO TIME FOR BOOK LEARNINC

You put no faith in the written word.

Effect: You are illiterate. You can never
learn to read any language, and you suffer a
-2 penalty on all Knowledge checks except
Knowledge (nature). 2

October 2004 DRAGON 324

CLASS ACTS

by Joshua Cole

PICKING FEATS AND
PRESTIGE CLASSES

orcerers don't pore over musty old tomes.
Artists rather than craftsmen, they hone
their natural abilities to a razor edge. When
a sorcerer sets out to learn something, it isn't
magic. Perhaps that’s why sorcerers don’t
acquire metamagic feats or qualify for prestige
classes as easily as wizards—and why, when
they do, they benefit all the more.

METAMAGIC FEATS

Although sorcerers don't automatically gain
the wizard s wide selection of metamagic feats,
they have even more reason to select them.

Empower Spell and Maximize Spell make a
sorcerer's arsenal considerably more deadly, as
they make a single damaging spell useful over
a range of levels. An empowered lightning
bolt is a perfectly valid 5th-level attack
spell, freeing its sorcerous caster to choose
something besides a direct-damage spell for
his 5th-level spells known list.

For the same reason, Heighten Spell
makes a good choice for a sorcerer. Sorcerers
gain so many spell slots that applying this
feat to their spells is more useful to them
than to a wizard. By increasing save DCs,
Heighten Spell improves even spells that
don’t have numeric components to benefit
from being empowered or maximized (like
charm monster or trap the soul).

Sorcerers also greatly benefit from Energy
Substitution (presented in Complete Arcane ).
The ability to chose what kind of energy
damage a spell deals makes the sorcerer's
already flexible magical arsenal all the more
versatile. Many favor acid damage, since few
creatures have a resistance to it and it stops
most regeneration.

Sorcerers should avoid combining
metamagic feats with spells that already
have a casting time of a full-round action or
more. The resulting metamagic spell keeps
the caster occupied for 2 vital rounds, as
spells enhanced with metamagic feats take
longer to cast

PRESTIGE (LAKES

Many prestige classes augment spontaneous
casting or offer unique benefits to sorcerers.

Of them, several from the Dungeon Master's
Guide prove particularly useful to sorcerers.

Arcane Trickster: Debate rages as to whether
sorcerers or wizards make better arcane
tricksters. Sorcerer arcane tricksters focus on
magic and sneak attacks rather than skills,
due to their commonly lower Intelligence*

A sorcerer arcane trickster is a Formidable
combatant when combining sneak attacks and
ranged touch spells.

Archmage: A sorcerous archmage loses
little and gains much. All of the archmage's
powerful high arcana abilities require the
sacrifice of spell slots, of which a sorcerer has
plenty. Sorcerous archmages benefit most
from high arcana like master of elements and
master of shaping.

Eldritch Knight: Sorcerers often excel as
eldritch knights* With more spells relative to
their level and as warrior spelkasters, they need
fewer attack spells, allowing them to focus on
spells that boost their combat abilities.

Loremaster: Sorcerers interested in
further customizing their abilities and spell
selection should consider this prestige class.
Along with the varied abilities and bonuses
a l ore master's secrets add, bonus 1st-level,
2nd-level. and divining spells expand a
sorcerer's repertoire.

Mystic The urge: Although this class might
appeal to any spelkaster, sorcerers don't
fare as well as other classes might as mystic
theurges. Since sorcerers usually receive
enough spells to cast each day already, the
extra level required for a sorcerer to qualify
for this class is probably not worth the
sacrifice. However, other Charisma-based
divine classes, such as the shugenja from
Oriental Adventures or the favored soul from
Complete Divine, provide useful options to a
sorcerous character who also wants access to
divine spells. ^

DRAGON 324 October 2004

by Paul Leach

OPTIONAL (LAS:
WILD DEFENDER

T he wild defender is a holy warrior attuned to
the sacred divinity of nature. Druids usually
welcome them, but most wild defenders
work in solitude. The wild defender guards
the land and those who use it respectfully
Those who violate the wilderness consider wild
defenders a manifestation of nature's wrath.
The wild defender is a variant ranger. Unless
otherwise noted, a wild defender advances in
the same manner as a ranger (same Hit Die,
base attack bonus, saving throw bonuses, skill
points, and so on). When a character elects
to take a level of ranger or wild defender, he
may not later take levels in the other class.

This prevents the character from gaining the
benefits of a Istdevel ranger twice.

Alignment: A wild defender must be neutral
good, lawful neutral, neutral, or chaotic neutral.

CLflH FEATURES

The wild defender loses the base ranger's
favored enemy, bonus feats, combat style,
camouflage, and hide in plain sight class
features but gains several druid and paladin
abilities and acquires some class features at
different levels than a ranger.

Smite Evil (Su): Once per
day, the wild defender may
attempt to smite evil with
one normal melee attack. He
adds his Charisma bonus
(if any) to his attack roll and
deals 1 extra point of damage
per wild defender level* If the
wild defender accidentally
smites a creature that is not
evil, the smite has no effect,
but the ability is still used up
for that day

At 5th level and every five
levels thereafter, the wild
defender may smite enemies
one additional time per day as
indicated on die wild defender
table, A character with levels

in both wild defender and paladin adds his
levels in both classes to determine how many
times per day he may smite evil as well as die
amount of extra damage he deals.

Natural Lore (Ex): Hie wild defender has a +2
bonus on Knowledge (nature) and Survival checks.

Trackless Step (Ex): At 3rd level the
wild defender leaves no trail in natural
surroundings and cannot be tracked. He may
choose to leave a trail if so desired.

Resist Nature's Lure (Ex): At 4th level the
wild defender gains a +4 bonus on saving
throws against the spell-like abilities of fey.

Rebuke Nature (Su): When the wild
defender reaches 6th level, he gains the
ability to rebuke (but not command)
creatures of nature, just as an evil cleric
can rebuke undead. He may use this ability
a number of times per day equal to 3 +
his Charisma modifier. He rebukes nature
as a cleric of three levels lower would
turn undead. At 6th level, this ability only
works on animals, but the wild defender
gains control over a wider range of natural
creatures as he gains levels. Z

THE WILD DEFENDER

—Spells per Da,—

Level

Special

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

1st

Natural lore, smite evil 1 /day. wild empathy

—

2nd

Woodland stride

—

_ _ _

3rd

Trackless step

—

—_

4th

Resist nature's lure

5th

Animal companion, smite evil 2/day

—

6th

Rebuke nature (animals)

—

-—

7th

—

StH

Rebuke nature (vermin)

—

9th

10th

Smite evil 3/day

11th

Evasion

12 th

Rebuke nature (plants)

13 th

14 th

Rebuke nature (fey)

15th

Smite evil 4/day

16th

17th

18th

Rebuke nature (oozes)

19th

20th

Rebuke nature (elemental), smite evil 5/day

October 2004 DRAGON 324

CLASS ACTS

by Richard Pocklington

FLAWS FOR PALADINS

e paladin faces the most blatantly obvious
limitations of any class. High moral
standards bind them and place many
restrictions on their behavior. This sometimes
makes roleplaying a paladin a rather
straightforward affair, and as such, paladins
are often a good choice for a beginning player
who doesn't mind playing a cliche. While
some of the paladin's moral limitations affect
them in roleplaying situations, many more
affect the paladin’s battlefield tactics.

Flaws penalize a character in a specific
way. Most of these flaws have obvious
roleplaying consequences, but they also have
game mechanics penalties. The concept of
flaws first appeared in Unearthed Arcana ,
but you don't need that book to use the flaws
presented here. A character may only take
up to two flaws, and they must be selected
at 1st level. For each flaw you take, your
character may select an additional feat.

Thus, a 1st level human character with two
flaws may take four feats.

Although designed specifically with
paladins in mind, other characters may select
from these flaws if they meet the appropriate
prerequisites,

CHIVALROUS COURTESY

You despise raising your hand against
creatures of the opposite gender.

Prerequisite; Good or lawful alignment.
Effect: You suffer a -4 penalty on attack
rolls to hit a creature you can tell is of the
opposite gender,

CODE OF mi

Trained to only kill other armed warriors, you
hesitate when attacking unarmed opponents.
Prerequisite: Good or lawful alignment.
Effect; You suffer a -4 penalty on attack
rolls made against an enemy not armed with
a melee weapon. If the enemy uses a natural
attack against you, you may then attack it
without penalty.

HONORABLE CHALLENGE

You only cross amis with foes who willingly
engage you.

Prerequisite: Lawful alignment.

Effect: You suffer a -4 penalty on attack
rolls against creatures that have not explicitly
challenged you or made an attack against
you. For the purposes of this feat, an attack
against you includes any action that would
end an mmibility spell (see page 245 of the
Player's Handbook).

HONOR OF THE DUEL

You strongly believe in one-on-one combat to
decide a fight.

Prerequisite: Good or lawful alignment.
Effect; You must make a Will save (DC
10 + your level) to attack a creature in a
square threatened by one of its other foes,

A successful save allows you to attack such
a creature, albeit with a -2 penalty on your
attack rolls. A failed save prohibits you from
attacking that creature.

MOUNTED WARRIOR

You only feel comfortable fighting from
the saddle.

Prerequisite: Ride 1 rank.

Effect: You suffer a -2 penalty on attack rolls
made while not riding a mount.

PRIDE OF ARMS

You take great pride in knowing how to use
weapons specifically designed for war. You
consider all other weapons beneath your
station and have allowed your training in them
to atrophy.

Prerequisite: Proficiency in all
martial weapons.

Effect; You suffer a -A penalty on all attack
rolls made with exotic weapons, simple
weapons, unarmed attacks, and touch attacks,

SOLITARY PARAGON

You prefer to fight alone.

Effect; You gain no benefit from flanking a
foe and instead suffer a -4 penalty on attack
rolls made against a foe you flank.

WARRIOR OF THE PHAM

Trained to fight in a group, you have
difficulties when fighting alone.

Effect; You suffer a -4 penalty on attack rolls
you make when not adjacent to an ally. ^

DRAGON 324 October 2004

by Paul Leach

Ormans:

WILD MOHK

T he wild monk attains perfection by
embracing the natural order. She learns
from the ebb and flow of the seasons
and the living land. She imitates the ways of
animals—how they move, how they fight, and
how they find their places in the world. As
the wild monk grows in power, she assumes
a number of druidic abilities.

Wild monks do not congregate in
monasteries as do normal monks. Instead, they
gather in small communities, often in sacred or
otherwise special natural locales. If they share
territory with druids, wild monk communities
usually stay on good terms with them. Like
rangers, many wild monks serve with druids
and aid them in defending nature. Although
they often worship gods of nature or nature
itself, some wild monks also revere tribal deities
or the lawful deities of normal monks.

The wild monk is a variant monk. Unless
otherwise noted, a wild monk advances in
the same manner as a monk (same Hit Die,
base attack bonus, saving throw bonuses,
skill points, and so on}. When a character
elects to take a level of monk or wild monk,
he may not later take levels in the other class.
This prevents the character from gaining the
benefits of a lst-level monk twice.

Alignment; Wild monks must adhere to the
discipline of the natural order. They may only
be lawful neutral.

CLUB SKILLS

The wild monk's class skills (and the key
ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb
(Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Hide
(Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (nature) (Int),
Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession
(Wis), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str),
and Tumble (Dex),

CLASS FEATURES

The wild monk trades several monk class
features for druid abilities as noted on die level
progression table. The wild monk may freely
multiclass with the druid class. If the character

chooses any other multiclass option, she may
not gain any more wild monk levels.

Resist Nature's Lure (Ex): Starting at 3rd
level die wild monk gains a +4 bonus on saving
throws against the spell-like abilities of fey.

WiJd Shape (Su): At 6th level, the wild monk
gains the ability to turn herself into any Small
or Medium animal and back again once per day
This ability works exactly as the druid ability of
the same name. The wild monk can use this
ability more times per day at 8th r 10th, 14th,

18th, and 20th level as noted on the wild monk
advancement table, tn addition, she gains the
ability to take the shape of a Large animal at 12th
level a Tiny animal at 15th level and a Huge
animal at 16th level. At 19th level, the wild monk
becomes able to use wild shape to change into a
Small Medium, or Large elemental once per day

If a character has levels in both wild monk
and druid, the wild shape abilities of each class
act independendy of the other. Thus, an 11th-
Ievel druid/9th-level wild monk could wild
shape four times per day as a druid and take
the form of any Tiny, Small Medium, or Large
animal and she could wild shape twice per
day as a wild monk and take the form of any
Small or Medium animal. LT

THE WILD MONK

Level

Special

1st

Flurry of blows, unarmed strike

2nd

Evasion

3rd

Resist nature's lure

4th

Ki strike (magic)

5th

Purity of body

6th

Wild shape (1 /day)

7th

Wholeness of body

8th

Wild shape (2/day)

9th

Improved evasion

10th

Kr strike (lawful), wild shape (3/day)

11th

Diamond body, greater flurry

12th

Wild shape (Large)

13th

Diamond soul

14th

Wild shape (4/day)

15 th

Wifd shape (Tiny)

T 6th

Ki strike (adamanite), wild shape (Huge)

17th

Timdess body, tongue of sun and moon

ISth

Wild shape (5/day)

19th

WiEd shape (elemental 1 /day)

20th

Perfect self, wild shape (6/day, elemental 2/day)

October 2004 DRAGON 324

CLASS ACTS

by Richard Pocklington

FLAWS FOR BARDS

r\ oleplaying die stereotypical lighthearted
|C bard can be an enjoyable experience. Bards
1 Visually act as the groups spokesperson, the
“face” of die party, as their high Charisma and
generally upbeat natures allow them to charm
even the tersest NPC. Bards have access to a wide
variety of skills, combat abilities, and spellcasting
abilities. Thus, they do a little bit of everything
as they advance in levels. However, not every
bard is a skilled performer, expert spellcaster,
knowledgeable scholar, and passable warrior.

Many bards allow their brash and outgoing
personalities to get in the way of their abilities,
making them flawed performers at best.

Flaws penalize a diaracter in a specific way.

Most of these flaws have obvious roleplaying
consequences, but they also have game mechanics
penalties. The concept of flaws first appeared in
Unearthed Arcana, but you don’t need that book to
use the flaws presented here. A character may only
take up to two flaws, and they must be selected at
1st level. For each flaw you take, your character may
select an additional feat. Thus, a lst-level human
character with two flaws may take four feats.

Although designed specifically with bards in
mind, other characters may select from these
flaws if they meet the appropriate prerequisites.

ARCANE PERFORMER

You depend upon your performance ability to
aid in the casting of spells.

Prerequisite: Ability to cast arcane spells
without preparation, Perform 1 rank.

Effect: In order to cast any spell, you must
succeed at a Perform check (DC 10 + spell
level). If you fail, you lose the spell.

FOOL

Your excessively lighthearted nature grates on
your companions.

Prerequisite: Bardic music.

Effect: You lose the inspire courage, inspire
competence, inspire greatness, and inspire
heroics bardic music abilities.

FRIVOLOUS PERFORMER

Having focused your time on practicing and
performing, you have gathered little useful
information in your travels.

Prerequisite: Bardic knowledge.

Effect: You suffer a -10 penalty on all
bardic knowledge checks. This penalty does
not apply if the relevant knowledge involves
the Perform skill in which you have the
most ranks. For example, if you have the
most ranks in Perform (wind instrument),
you may use bardic knowledge without
penalty to identify famous wind instruments,
to remember facts about famous wind 1
instrument players, or to identify places that
make quality wind instruments.

LOUDMOUTH

You are a loud, obnoxious, boisterous, and
compulsive talker.

Effect: You suffer a -4 penalty on all
Diplomacy and Move Silently checks.

METICULOUS PERFORMER

You get lost in your performances.

Prerequisite: Bardic music.

Effect: Initiating or maintaining any bardic
music ability is a full-round action.

BRRSH

You move about without careful consideration
of foes.

Effect: You suffer a -6 penalty to your Armor
Class against attacks of opportunity.

COWARD

In dangerous circumstances, you are likely to
run away.

Effect: You automatically fail all saves against fear
effects. An ability that makes you immune to fear
(such as becoming a 3rd-level paladin) instead grants
you a saving throw, but at a -4 penalty on the save.

TRIVIAL PERFORMER

Your performance is lighthearted and has
limited effect on others.

Prerequisite: Bardic music.

Effect: The save DC against your fascinate,
suggestion, and mass suggestion abilities is half
normal (rounded down). If you use the inspire
courage, inspire greatness, or inspire heroics
bardic music abilities, their benefits end as
soon as you stop performing (rather than
lasting for an additional 5 rounds), *2

DRAGON 324 October 2004

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readers just like you. Take a few
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PLAYER TIPS

by Tracy Taylor

TEAMWORK

W hether it’s the player who brings
a paladin into a chaotic neutral
party, the wizard who spends
each combat casting defensive spells
only on himself, or the roleplayer who
endangers the party and proclaims,

“It's what my character would do,”
an unthinking player can ruin the
fun for everyone. In the world of
roleplaying games, you can do anything
imaginable, and no decision is wrong.

A player can play a well-read bard
in one game and an illiterate raging
barbarian in the next. However, just
because some decisions are possible,
it doesn’t make them all good ideas.
With freedom and choice come
responsibility and the simple truth that
some decisions are better than others.

Fortunately though, most players
genuinely want to play as an integral
and contributing member of the
group, making selfish characters and
players relatively rare. A roleplaying
game pools everyone’s unique talents,
skills, and imagination to achieve a
common goal. Victory in a roleplaying
game requires that all the players band
together to overcome the challenges
the DM creates. The enjoyment of the
entire group, including the DM, relies
on every player remembering this and
placing his or her personal aspirations
second to doing what’s best for the
group. Fortunately, by remembering
a few simple concepts when creating
a character and playing the game, you
can ensure that individuality does not
eclipse teamwork.

Don't play the antiparty character.
Take the time to find out what
everyone else is playing and create a
character that fits. If the party consists
of neutral evil characters, rethink
playing a paladin. While intraparty
tension can make for interesting
roleplaying opportunities, it is more
likely to result in dissension and bad
feelings. Many games crumble because
of an antiparty character.

Choose the right class. Do you
like being the center of attention, or
do you prefer to avoid the spotlight
and contribute by helping others?
Technically, any player can play any
class, but some players prefer one or
two classes more than others. If you
prefer playing the mighty warrior,
killing each monster with a piercing
battle cry, then reconsider making a
cleric or arcane spellcaster. Remember,
though, playing a barbarian in one
game doesn’t mean you can’t play a
bard or sorcerer in the next.

Know your character. It sounds
basic, but this is one of most
common mistakes. When it comes
to your character, you have absolute
control. You create him and make
him as simple or as complex as
you wish. Take the time to research
his starting class. Figure out his
strengths and weaknesses. Think of
ways to use the former to help the
party, while minimizing the latter.
Does your character wear full plate,
carry a shield, and have an Armor
Class over 30? If so, he needs to

provoke attacks of opportunity so the
rogue can move in afterward and use
her sneak attacks. Remember: If all
the players play to the best of their
characters’ abilities, the group as a
whole stands a much better chance of
succeeding—and surviving.

Think tactically. Some players have
a harder time with this than others.
However, even the most tactically
deficient player can overcome his
handicap by asking two simple
questions: “What is everyone else
going to do?” and “How can I help?”

If your barbarian goes first, you
should probably have him wait for the
wizard to cast fireball before rushing
in. Likewise, your spellcaster probably
shouldn’t put herself between the
raging barbarian and the bad guys.

Bad tactics are the leading cause of
character deaths.

Get off the bench, and get in the
game. Don't forget, even after your
favorite character has died a couple of
times, that every round your character
stays out of the combat, the rest of the
party is shorthanded. Nothing, except
maybe not paying attention, imperils a
group more.

Ask yourself: “How is my decision
going to affect everyone else?” If the
decision will likely create bad feelings
among the other players or isn’t going
to contribute to the current situation
in a meaningful way, you should give
it some more thought. Remember, a
roleplaying game is all about working
together as a team. 2

100

DRAGON 324 October 2004

ADVENTURER TRICKS

by Joshua Cole

MAGIC TRAPS

O vercome the pitfalls of

dungeoneering with sorcery
instead of skullduggery! Whether
by intent or accident, a time comes in
every adventuring band's career when
all the rogues are out of commission
and traps loom ahead; a time for new
ideas, new methods, and more than
a few saving throws. Fortunately,
there's more than one way to skin a
catoblepas—or to disarm a trap*

WINING DANCERS

Although rogues are the only class
capable of finding and disarming
magic traps without the use of magic,
other classes can employ spells to
search for and even disable all varieties
of traps* I ndeed, a timely detect snares
and pits can actually put the odds in a
ranger's favor. The cleric's find traps
spell has limited uses, but for a party
without a rogue, it is invaluable.

As the PCs reach higher levels and
the traps become more magical, their
options for discovering traps become
more powerful. A few carefully worded
augury, commune , or divination spells
can provide dearer information, but
their cost in spell slots make them
most useful only when your party
simply cannot survive another trap*
Higher-level spells, such as legend
lore, can reveal whether a particular
opponent is known for using certain
types of magic. For example, if the
lich you face makes a habit of casting
electricity-based spells, then electricity-
based traps likely fill his tower. This
knowledge allows you to prepare
accordingly. Commune or contact other

plane could conceivably provide better
information, although the risks and
costs associated with such spells make
them less desirable choices*

TAKING TOUR LICKS

Spells like protection Jrom elements
and aid can help the party's tougher
characters endure the punishment
inflicted by traps. Mage armor, skidd,
stoneskin , and similar protective
measures are ideal for countering a
wide range of traps.

Magic items can also help absorb
trap damage. Any item that reduces
or eliminates damage from fire works
just as well against a fire-based trap as
it does against a red dragon’s breath.
In more general terms, a doaJt of
resistance can potentially reduce a lot
of trap damage, A character with a +3
or +4 cloak of resistance has far less to
fear from any magic trap that grants a
saving throw (as most do).

Alternatively, you can avoid trap
damage entirely using spells like
dimension door, passwall , teleport ,
and even relatively simple spells like
levitate and spider climb. Pressure
plates on the floor are unlikely to
harm a party that never touches the
ground, and swinging blades and dart
traps set low in the dungeon won’t
prove dangerous either,

DETECTING MAGIC TRAPS

At first glance, rogues seem essential to
finding magic traps. They're not.

In fact, most parties that have a
rogue shouldn't waste time dealing
with Search checks in each room*

Why not?

Detect magic should locate every
magic trap in a room or corridor. Every
spelkaster with cantrips and orisons
has access to it* Most spell casters
should use the majority of their
available 0-level spells on detect magic.

Granted, the caster might not know
the exact nature of the aura his detect
magic reveals, but with a little common
sense, the player can usually guess if
if s a trap or not. The glowering eye in
the statue of Gruumsh that stands over
the ores' treasure and has a magic aura
should draw more attention to itself
than the ore warchief s magic sword, as
the eye is liable to fire off a ray or two at
the unwary.

Once your party's spellcasters have
discovered a magic trap, getting rid of
it shouldn't be exceptionally difficult. In
many cases, dispel magic can eliminate
a magic trap faster, easier, and safer
than a rogue could by himself. A
party without a rogue should invest in
several wands of dispel magic to avoid
using up the party's stores of valuable
3rd-level spells* In fact, even a party
with a rogue—preferably with a high
Use Magic Device bonus—should
carry at least one such wand to save
the rogue from the dangers of rolling
poorly when disabling a trap.

Finally, higher-level spells, like
Mordenkaineris disjunction and
antimagic field , eliminate any magic
trap of less than artifact level* Of
course, if your party infiltrates a
dungeon with ttaps made from
artifacts, you might want to rethink
going in without a rogue *,, or at all! C

October 2004 DRAGON 324

SAGE ADVICE

by Andy Collins

This month, the sage delves into questions regarding divine spells and the
characters who cast them. Send your questions to sageadvice@paizo.com.

If a cleric’s turning check results
in 0 being the Hit Dice of the most
powerful undead affected, does that
mean the cleric’s turn attempt failed, or
is 1 HD always the minimum?

There is no minimum HD result for a
turning check. If a lst-level cleric rolls a
total turning check of 9 or less , he can’t
turn any undead (since the most powerful
undead affected would be 0 HD). In
general, unless the rules specifically state
that a minimum value exists, it doesn’t.

How do I know when my cleric can
prepare spells? Does he need to rest first?

Divine spel/casters who prepare spells
(such as clerics and druids) choose and
prepare their spells at a particular time of
day. Unless the character's deity or faith
specifies a particular time, the character
chooses his spell preparation time when
he first gains the ability to cast divine
spells. Dawn, dusk, noon, and midnight
are common choices. If some event
prevents the character from praying for
his spells at the proper time, he must do

so as soon as possible or else wait until
the next day to prepare his spells. Unlike
wizards, divine spellcasters need not rest
before preparing spells.

How does a favored soul or other
spontaneous divine spellcaster ready
his spells for the day?

Favored souls, shugenjas,
spirit shamans, and other purely
spontaneous divine spellcasters ready
spells each day just as sorcerers do.

They require 8 hours of rest beforehand
and 15 minutes of concentration.

My DM says that my cleric has to drop his
momingstar to cast spells. Is he right?

Yes and no. To cast a spell with a
somatic (S) component, you must gesture
freely with at least one hand (see the
Player’s Handbook, page 140). A cleric
(or any caster, for that matter) who holds
a weapon in one hand and wears a heavy
shield on the other arm doesn’t have a
hand free to cast a spell with a somatic
component (which includes most spells in

the game). To cast such a spell, a character
with a heavy shield and weapon must
either drop or sheathe his weapon.

Another simple option is for the cleric
to carry a buckler or light shield instead
of a heavy shield. The buckler leaves one
hand free for spellcasting, and you don’t
even lose the buckler's shield bonus
to AC when casting with that hand.

The light shield doesn’t give you a free
hand for spellcasting, but since you can
hold an item in the same hand that
holds the light shield, you could switch
your weapon to that hand to free up
a hand for spellcasting. (You can’t use
the weapon while it’s held in the some
hand as your shield, of course.) The
rules don’t state what type of action is
required to switch hands on a weapon,
but it seems reasonable to assume that
it’s the equivalent of drawing a weapon
(a move action that doesn’t provoke
attacks of opportunity).

Can my cleric of Pelor activate a wand
of holy smite if he doesn't have the Good

102

DRAGON 324 October 2004

domain? After all, it's on his deity's list
of domain spells, so that's the same as
being on my character's spell list, right?

Your character 's domain spelts are
treated as being on your class spell list for
the purpose of using wands, scrolls f and
similar items, but that only applies to
spells in domains that your character has
actually chosen. If you haven't selected the
domain as one of your two domains, the
spells of that domain aren't considered on
your spell list (unless they're already on
y our spell list from your class, such as aid,
which is on all clerics' spell lists and not
just the spell lists of clerics with the Good
or Luck domain),

Is the sacred fist (a prestige class
found in Complete Divine) supposed
to wear armor? None of the class
abilities are inhibited by wearing light
armor, and as long as he's wearing
armor, he might as well carry a
shield, too, since he'd only be losing
the class's AC bonus.

The sacred fist can wear light armor.
Whether or not a specific sacred fist weucs
light armor depends on what class features
he might have from other classes. For
instance , a sacred fist with monk levels (a
strong likelihood) gives up his AC bonuses
(including his Wisdom bonus to AC), his
flurry of Mow*, and his fast movement
when wearing light armor. Still, for a
sacred fist with only one or two monk
levels, that might be worthwhile — h/s light
armor's AC bonus might make up for the
lost AC bonuses from the monk class , and
he hasn't yet gained a speed bonus ,

Whether the sacred fist benefits from
carrying a shield depends on the character.
Some sacred fists might prefer having
their off hand free (such as for climbing).
Also, a sacred fist's AC bonus applies even
against touch attacks, while a shield's
bonus to AC does not.

The description of the Divine
Metamagic feat (from Complete Divine)
says the feat applies to divine spells,
without explicitly excluding arcane
spells. Does it work with divine spells
only, or with both divine and arcane
spells? For example, can a wizard
that also has cleric levels use Divine
Metamagic to enhance his arcane spells?

The feat only works on divine spells. The
flavor text suggests this and the benefit
should state this clearly ,

Can a cleric with the Divine Metamagic
feat apply a m eta magic effect to a spell
whose level would ordinarily be too
high to gain the metamagic effect from
his metamagic feat?

Yes. Applying a metamagic effect in
this manner has no effect on the spell's
level. For example, a 9th-f eve i cleric with
Divine Meta magic (Empower Spell)
could spend four turn/rebuke undead
attempts to empower a flame strike
spell, even though empowered flame
strike would normally require an 8tb
level spell slot to cast.

Some of the spells in Complete Divine
refer to the Ocean domain, but that
domain doesrtt appear in the book.

How can my character use these spells?

Both maelstrom and waterspout
originally appeared in the Forgotten
Realms Campaign Setting, which
included the Ocean domain for several
deities of that setting. In another DefD
game, you can either ignore these spells
or add them os druid spells of the same
level (8th and 7th, respectively). For tidal
surge, simply ignore the Ocean domain
listing (it was added inadvertently) and
use only the "Dmid 6" //sting.

The unyielding roots spell (from
Complete Divine) anchors the
recipient, making it impossible for
him to move from his space. The
flanking rules are based on the lack of
facing in the game, but they presume
that a creature is always turning to
deal with adjacent attackers. Should
the immobility imbued by this spell
also make it easier for a creature to
flank the recipient, as the recipient
cannot move to face the attacker?

A creature under the effect of
unyielding roots is just as vulnerable
to flanking as any other creature , but
no more so. There are a whole category
of immobilizing spells and effects, such
as hold person, that would appear to
create similar situations, but these effects
don’t alter the fundamentally abstract
nature of DtJfD combat.

On the other hand, if you're using
the Combat Facing variant found in
Unearthed Arcana, the unyielding roots
spell could create some interesting tactical
limitations for the recipient

The vigor series of spells (found in
Complete Divine) raise an interesting
question. Does the built-in
maximum duration of each spell
limitation override the effect of the
Extend Spell feat?

Ye$. Extend Spell still increases
the spell's duration, but only up to a
maximum of the spell's listed maximum
duration. Use either the normal
maximum duration or the doubled
duration t whichever is less. If a 7th-level
druid used Extend Spell on her vigor
spell t the duration could not increase
beyond 25 rounds.

The mass lesser vigor spell has a
fixed range of 20 ft,, which makes
it eligible for the revised Persistent
Spell feat in Players Guide to
Faerun , Does that mean a 17th-
level druid could use a 9th-level
spell slot to give nine creatures fast
healing 1 for 24 hours, or does the
built-in limit of 25 rounds make
that pointless?

Unlike Extend Spell , Persistent Spell
replaces a spell's normal duration with
a new duration of 24 hours , In this case t
the effect overrides the normal maximum
duration of the spell, so it would indeed
grant nine creatures fast healing 1 for
24 hours (a pretty reasonable effect for a
9th-level spell).

What is Tharizduris favored weapon?
Complete Divine says ifs "check toee,”
but I don't know what that is.

That's a developer's note to “check
[Fharizdun's entry in Return to the/
Temple of Elemental Evil "for the proper
weapon. As the adventure tells us, the
favored weapon ofThariidun's priesthood
is the (curved) dagger.

I have a monk with the Vow of
Poverty feat from Book of Exalted
Deeds. Does the Exalted Strike bonus
apply to grapple, sunder, disarm, and
trip attempts?

October 2004 DRAGON 324

103

SAGE ADVICE

The exalted strike bonus gained by a character who has taken
Vow of Poverty applies only on attack and damage rolls. Unless
someth mg is described as an attack roll or a damage roll, the
bonus doesn't apply.

The touch attack made to start a grapple is an attack roll (so
the bonus would apply to this roll), but a grapple check is not an
attack roll, and thus the bonus wouldn't apply on the grapple
check , Likewise, the touch attack made to start a trip attack
would gain the bonus, but the Strength check you make to trip
the defender is not an attack roll and wouldn't gain the bonus.

To attempt a disarm attack ora sunder attack, you make an
attack roll opposed by the defender's attack roll, so the exalted
strike bonus would apply.

How do the equipment restrictions put on a character by
the Vow of Poverty feat affect class-defining items [in other
words, a clerics holy symbol, wizard's familiar, samurai's
daisho, paladin's mount, and so on)?

The Vow of Poverty feat /s very specific about the /terns that
a character can own while gaining the benefits of the feat (see
page 48 in Book of Exalted Deeds for details). It specifically
disallows ownership of masterwork or magic weapons t and thus
a samurai who chooses this feat must give up his daisho (his
pair of masterwork weapons). A holy symbol does not appear
on the list of eligible /terns, and thus a strict reading of the feat
would disallow the item . A familiar, special mount, or animal
companion isn't a material possession, and thus a character
with Vow of Poverty isn’t restricted from gaining the benefits of
such creatures ♦

Remember that the Vow of Poverty feat, like most of the
material found in Book of Exalted Deeds, rs intended for mature
campaigns that are capable of handling difficult roleplaying
issues. A cleric who must give up his holy symbol (effectively
preventing him from turning undead or casting any spell that
requires a divine focus) could be a very interesting challenge fora
player who wants to try something unusual.

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The saint can't choose for his holy touch damage to deal
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